Art Thursday 30th March 2017

Today I’ll be talking to two photographers who are exhibiting their works at Stills Gallery – the final solo exhibitions at the gallery.

Glenn Sloggett will be talking about his series Down in the dumps, which continues his long-term lover-affair with the unloved and the unloveable. One of the things that distinguishes his oeuvre is the sheer, single-minded, clarity and persistence with which he has approached his work. For 20 years he has elevated the burnt out and banal into something to be seen and celebrated, or at least acknowledged. He seeks out what most of us rush by or turn away from, as his titles suggest – Xmas dumping, Discarded flowers, Trackside lilies (popular suicide spot), The blob, Pokies car park and One dark night. If you want to follow Glenn on Instagram he’s at diseased roses.

Later on in the program I’ll be speaking to Jane Brown about her work Sporting Country which comprises a suite of photographs of places related to sport in rural Australia. Brown’s small and thoughtful black and white portraits of sporting clubs, stadiums, swimming pools and monuments contrasts with the colour, energy and fervour of Australian sporting life.

Central to the series is the notion of ‘faded glory’ which evokes both nostalgia for a bygone era and the ongoing and passionate support of local sporting activities. The meticulously tended bowling greens and football ovals pictured in these photographs testify to the determination of small town communities to maintain humble but much-loved sporting facilities in the face of a shift in support from local clubs to national and international teams.

I’ve chosen some sad and beautiful tunes play while we talk about sad and beautiful photos. I hope you like them.