Humanities and Social Sciences

Research in Visual Arts and Design

James McArdle

Research and Professional Practice

James investigates metaphoric uses of focal effects and the differences between human and camera vision. Findings from this research have been the subject of exhibitions and papers presented at international conferences.

His current research, extending from his recently completed PhD studies, is concerned with Vortex imagery; using multiple and overlapping, converging viewpoints to create a contour moire in images of the landscape; and rotational imagery of motion perspective in the passing landscape as seen from a moving observer. This approach to and rendering of the landscape provides the techniques and effects required for the portrait images. Investigations into prior and contemporary uses of focus in its various manifestations, including convergent vision and other depth perception and depiciton in the visual arts support James' practice. Results of the vortex imagery achieved were exhibited in "Focussed" at the Bendigo Regional Gallery 29 September to 28th October 2001 and extensions of the research were exhibited at Horsham Regional Art Gallery in October 2002., “Vortex” at Phyllis Palmer Gallery Bendigo in March 2004, Smyrnios Gallery, Prahran, Melbourne in April/May 2004 and most recently at Phyllis Palmer Gallery 10 July to 2 August 2007 where he exhibited jointly with Daniel Armstrong in "Azimuth".

James also contributes to research in the history of Australian photography. He curated Phiction:Lies, Illusion and the Phantasm in Photography which toured eleven galleries across Victoria (December 2001 to October 2003) and contributed a chapter “Shifting Ground in some Australian Photography” In Mehigan T. (Ed.) Frameworks, Artworks, Place: The Space of Perception in the Modern World, Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, (Publication forthcoming 2007).

Images from "Azimuth" at the Phyllis Palmer Gallery, 2007

'Azimuth' 2007	'Goad' 2007
		'Granit' 2007
'Orbit' 2007	'Radiate' 2007	'Welling' 2007

Images from "Vortex" at the Phyllis Palmer Gallery and Smyrnios Gallery, Prahran 2004

'In The Strange Form Of A Stave' 2004 Monochrome inkjet print from large format negatives. Size variable, this print 800h x 3000w mm	'The Landscape In Furious Flight'. 2004 Four colour inkjet print from digital camera images. Size variable, this print 800h x 3600w mm
'Locus.' 2004/5 Inkjet print from multiple digital camera images size variable, this print 1300h x 4200w mm.
	'Before Me The Dazzling Apparition' 2004 monochrome inkjet print from large format negatives. Size variable, this print 1300h x 2260w mm
'The Exact Pivot.' 2004 Monochrome inkjet print from large format negatives. Size variable, this print 1194h x 2600w mm

Recent solo and two person exhibitions:

2007 July: Daniel Armstrong “Azimuth”, Phyl lis Palmer Gallery Bendigo.
2004 April: solo show a t Smyrnios Ga llery, Prahran, Melbourne
2004 March: solo show “Vortex”, Phyl lis Palmer Gallery Bendigo.

Awards

2008 Shortlisting for the 2008 Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography Award
05 Apr 2008 - 18 May 2008 Now established as a key exhibition within the contemporary art calendar, the exhibition of selected finalists will present works by over 70 contemporary artists and photographers working in the many varied practices of the medium. The winner will receive $10,000 and the work will be acquired by the Gold Coast City Art Gallery. This yearÕs judge is Trent Parke, Adelaide based photographer and the only Australian member of the prestigious International Magnum photography agency.

Most recent Conference papers:
2005 May 27 - 30, “Why Do We Have Two Eyes?”, at Celebrating the Diversity of Photographic
Imaging Conference 2005, RMIT University Melbourne.

2005 February 10 - 14, “Figure and Ground in Australian Photography”, at The Poetics Of Australian
Space Conference, University of Sydney's School of English, Art History, Film and Media, in
collaboration with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

2005 Nov 30 – Dec 2 “Phiction: Lies, Illusion and the Phantasm in Australian Photography”, at AAANZ Annual Conference 2005 ‘Eye-site: Situating Theory and Practice in the Visual Arts’, University of Sydney.

2006 'Shifting Ground in some Australian Photography' In Mehigan T. (Ed.) Frameworks, Artworks, Place: The Space of Perception in the Modern World, Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, (Publication forthcoming 2007).

2006 4 Feb 'The camera never lies - or does it?' panel discussion on photographic fictions at Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne.

Selected Publications:

2008 Essay in Frameworks, Artworks, Place: The Space of Perception in the Modern World. (Consciousness, Literature & the Arts) (Paperback) by Tim Mehigan (Editor)

2003 “Phiction and Lies: Andrew Fuhrmann interviews James McArdle” La Trobe Forum: the Magazine of the La Trobe Politics Society Number 22 Winter 2003 ISSN 1446-8980

2002 "Preview Phiction: Lies, Illusion and the Phantasm in Photography" in Imprint: the journal of the print council Autumn 2002 Vol. 37 Number 1, !SSB 03133907 p.10

2001 Catalogue essay for PhICTION, a touring exhibition of the Horsham Regional Art Gallery,
November ISBN 0957996217

2001 in conference proceedings “Celebrating the Diversity of Photographic Imaging International
Conference”, published RMIT University Melbourne

2000 in conference proceedings “Encounters With Photography: Photographing People In Southern
Africa, 1860 to 1999”, published Cape Town University South Africa,

1998 “New Digital Images” Bendigo, Vic.: Work on Paper issue 3. Work on paper. ISSN 1442-6552

1996 “The Paradox of the Photographic Portrait” in ‘Beyond the Divide’ Vol.1,no.1,1996 Published
Bendigo, Vic : La Trobe University, Bendigo, ISSN 1326-4222

1988 “Kew Living ‘88” Burrundoora City Council 1988

Research Links

• Poetics of Australian Space
• Celebrating the Diversity of Photographic Imaging Conference 2005
• Photographing People in Southern Africa, 1860-1999
• RealTime on screen magazine - article on Azimuth Exhibition