Well, the exhibition opened on the weekend at the White Cedars Cafe operated by Francis Walling and Putu Suta. A gala affair, it attracted the best of Burra society and lots of friends and acquaintances of David and me from Adelburg. The exhibition was opened by the Catherine Deneuve/Juliette Binoche of Adelaide, the beautiful Effy Kleanthi.
Here's what Effy had to say at the opening -
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I have the pleasure and indeed honour of opening Harvey Schiller’s inaugural solo photographic exhibition."I have known Harvey since the late 90’s when I met him through the Weekender newspaper. He was reporting on the exciting happenings of the Kensington & Norwood Council."I later worked on this and other publications, literally side by side, with Harvey in the Adelaide Hills and saw first hand his formidable creative style and ability to use computer programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign."As editor, writer, photographer and critic he carefully crafted each edition."He honed these skills. Gradually over the years we began to witness the emergence of the artist you see today."The next time I had a glimpse of Harvey’s talents was in the form of aesthetically beautiful invitations to special commemorative personal events including birthdays. I promise I will keep a secret and not divulge which years Harvey was celebrating!"Next was a major piece of captivating artwork which Harvey created as a surprise gift for David. While this is on permanent display in private residence the public was exposed to his talents when Harvey’s work went on display recently at the Tin Cat Café in Kent Town."It was here that we first saw the full impact of his unique photographic style which had developed from his desire to find a use for, as Harvey has said, “left over happy snaps.”"Detours is a very exciting exhibition, strong images, evoking our imagination and questioning whether what we see we should believe. "South Australia is large and full of contrasts. Harvey has captured South Australia’s unique landscape through his creative and unique ways of looking at our unique landscape and interpreting our unique landscape."What better place than Burra to launch Detours – this unique wonderfully preserved old town settled by Cornish and Welsh miners, reminding us of our British colonial past. Free settlers who came to make a claim and mine copper and build and live in stone buildings including this beautiful old building which we are in today and houses the lovely White Cedars Café and Gallery, which is owned and run by our gracious and generous hosts Francis and Putu."Over many years and kilometres Harvey has photographed this land -vastly different landscapes from urban forms and structures and cityscapes to outback skies, flora, fauna and coastal forms."Harvey has captured the mood and feel of these land and city scapes. And, then, turned these on their side, or upside down, or enlarged, or diminished them. Hundreds and hundreds of images. He is an artist – taking from the palette of the captured electronic images – mixing, adding, subtracting and selecting – which element will go with which image. And David who complements each image beautifully with his framing."But, these are not just pretty pictures, because when you look closely, very closely, within each image, deep down, there is another hidden story with stronger messages for each of us to discover and interpret, most often about the state of our vulnerable environment."Harvey’s canvas is South Australia, and beyond. His tools are the technology and electronic marvels of today. His creative juices have created the unique images we see here today. "I am proud to declare Detours Harvey Schiller’s Photographic Exhibition officially opened and invite you to enjoy."Here's what I said (with the occasional extemporisation)
"When I was invited by Francis and Putu to put together this exhibition I grabbed my camera and started taking photographs. Lots of photographs. Landscapes, architecture, clouds, interiors, rusty machinery, signs, shadows, textures, flowers, door handles."These photos, some beautiful in their own right, others that showed potential, are the raw material from which I create my collages. Most of the photos used in this exhibition were taken during April and May and as I began to work with the photos, building up images, a few themes began to emerge."The tension between the man-made and the natural environment came to the fore particularly as it relates to the threat of global warming."Often I have difficulty separating the man-made from the natural environment. Agricultural fields are almost as constructed as a factory or suburb – they have been cleared and put to a single use, like a suburban garden writ large."To me a man made phone tower can be as achingly beautiful as a cliff face aglow with the last rays of the day’s sun. The peeling paint on a railway station that has seen grander times is as gorgeous as the colours painting a cloud-filled sunset."It’s often the imperfections, the beautiful blots that provide us with an entry point to a wider beauty- a beauty that celebrates our mark on the landscape and our reliance on it and sometimes of our abuse of it."Faded signs, rust spots and erosion all point to decay but also remind us of the resilience of nature and of ourselves."I hope you enjoy the pictorial detour on the walls in the gallery. It’s a journey though my imagination and perhaps to a not so far off reality. "Thanks toEffy for her wordsFrancis and Putu for the venue and the chance to exhibitDavid for the framingLots of people for their encouragementAnd for everyone here today for turning up"Click on the pictures to make them larger, click back to get back to the text 'n' stuff.
David hanging the pictures on Saturday afternoon. Very high-tech - it included a laser level
Australia's own Faye Dunaway, Effy Kleanthi, opening the exhibition.
Me speaking. Nuff said
Terry telling me the meaning of my pictures. I learnt a thing or two
Kenneth, John & Will
Leigh Schiller and Harvey Schiller. Note the surnames!
The after-party - Francis (Front-of-house Gallery Man), Putu (Chef Extraordinaire), Nicole (Entrepreneur), David (Fabulous Framer), Harvey (The person responsible for what's on the walls), James (Ex-navy Diver & Renovationist Extraordinaire)
