Journeys North

Overview

During 1988, the Queensland Art Galley commissioned six photographers to produce a portfolio on the theme of community life in Queensland entitled 'Journeys north'. Last exhibited in January that year, the exhibition has returned to the gallery's walls to inspire a re-examination of how the state has changed in the intervening 28 years since the images were taken.

The photographers involved — Graham Burstow, Lin Martin, Robert Mercer, Glen O'Malley, Charles Page and Max Pam — were all long-term residents of Queensland, or boasted strong ties with the area. Each travelled to different regions, where, over the course of about eighteen months, they documented the lifestyles, attitudes and values of Queensland in the late 1980s.

What emerged was an unintentional snapshot of Australian communal life. Compared with today, the images probe unwavering attitudes that have long existed in the 'Australian way of life', as well as outdated ideas and differences that may have been forgotten over the past three decades. The fixed theme, barely trivialised by time, is the unique difference and richness of the Australian lifestyle, land and environment.

Journeys North exhibits at Queensland Art Gallery until 3 July.