Spectrum: Photos develop community

By Meg Mill

Photographer and long-time Docklands resident Jane Morrison is having her first solo exhibition this month at the Lorimer Gallery at Yarra’s Edge.

The exhibition, Spectrum, features Mrs Morrison’s recent travels ­– through Antarctica, Switzerland, Corsica, Italy, Lord Howe Island and Central Australia.

“It’s called Spectrum because it explores the colours and textures of the earth and environment,” Mrs Morrison said.

For Mrs Morrison, who has lived in Docklands for 14 years, the location of the exhibition tells a story on par with those of the landscapes on show.

Lorimer Gallery, also a cafe space, is located at 108 River Esplanade, above which Mrs Morrison lives with her husband.

She became acquainted with owners Demian and Victoria Gibbons two-and-a-half years ago when the space opened.

After visiting her apartment and noticing her photography, Mr Gibbons told Mrs Morrison that she should have an exhibition.

Twelve years earlier, Mrs Morrison’s interest in pursuing photography was sparked when her friend Jerry Grayson – who opened the Spectrum exhibition on March 22 – visited her apartment.

“It’s interesting because Jerry gave me the encouragement with the camera and taking photographs, and Demien has given me the encouragement – 12 years later – with the end product and having exhibitions,” Mrs Morrison said.

“So it’s sort of like a journey with two things happening at either end to get me to the next level.”

When Mr Grayson, owner of Helifilms Australia, visited her apartment, he decided to test Mrs Morrison’s skills from a helicopter.

Mr Grayson must have been pleased with the results, because he asked her to do the helicopter photography for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

“That was really the impetus for me to become more of a professional photographer,” Mrs Morrison said.

That impetus has been channelled into various environmental aesthetics – enough to create a spectrum, one might say.

“What I really love about photographing landscapes is how varied and interesting it is,” Mrs Morrison said.

“I love the challenge of using the camera to create different types of images too, and I find that very exciting.”

“I’m experimenting with taking photos deliberately out of focus or taking photographs that are only a portion of the view so its all texture and colour.”

Mrs Morrison said this was another factor that makes her collaboration with Lorimer Gallery all the more suitable, as Mr Gibbons is an artist and curator in his own right.

“He’s an amazing artist and a fantastic curator. When he curated our exhibition I was so impressed by how he managed the colours in the photographs,” she said.

“He put them in such a lovely sequence that it just flows really nicely.”

Spectrum is showing at the Lorimer Gallery, 108 River Esplanade, until April 18.