CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
FORMED SYDNEY - NOVEMBER 1938
FOUNDING GROUP
DOUGLAS ANNAND, CECIL BOSTOCK, WILLIAM BUCKLE, HAROLD CAZNEAUX, OLIVE COTTON, A. DODD,
MAX DUPAIN, LAURENCE LE GUAY, GEORGE MORRIS, DAMIEN PARER, RUSSELL ROBERTS, and LOUIS WITTS
Thursday 17th November 1938 Page 39 - The Sun (Sydney, NSW)
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION OPENS MONDAY
The Contemporary Camera Groupe holding an exhibition in the New Market St. Store Galleries from 2lst November.
Saturday 19th November 1938 Page 18 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
The first exhibition by the Contemporary Camera Groupe will begin on Monday. Among those represented in the collection, which will be hung in the Exhibition Gallery at David Jones Market Street store, will be Max Dupain, William G. Buckle, Olive Cotton, and Douglas Annand. There will be no charge for admission to the display, which will remain open daily during store hours until 31st December.
Saturday 19th November 1938 Page 1 - The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW)
CAMERA ART
LAURENCE LE GUAY
still-life study among the
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
exhibits to be seen at David Jones art gallery next Monday.
Sunday 20th November 1938 Page 9 - The Sun (Sydney, NSW)
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
Photographic Exhibition opens to-morrow, admission is Free.
Pictures by the Contemporary Camera Groupe on view at the new Market Street, Store Galleries. Clever studies by such well- known Sydney photographers as Cecil Bostock, Max Dupain, Douglas Annand and Harold Cazneaux.
Monday 21st November 1938 Page 6 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
The Contemporary Camera Groupe will hold its first exhibition to-day at David Jones Gallery in Market Street. The artists represented include Max Dupain, Harold Cazneaux, Olive Cotton and W.G. Buckle.
Tuesday 22nd November 1938 Page 2 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)
CAMERA ART
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
EXHIBITION OPENED
The first exhibition of the Contemporary Camera Groupe was opened yesterday at David Jones Market Street store.
Prejudice against the camera is still rife and may rob this exhibition of much of the missionary purpose of its sponsors who say: "We are trying to strengthen the liaison between photography and the other arts". Many of our photographic artists including one or two members of this group are still acutely self conscious. Their work is not sufficiently detached from personal motives of display.
Max Dupain's work is sincere and some of it is distinguished, particularly "The Ballerina", which has a Degas like quality. In his portraits he emphasizes a point subtly and delightfully.
CAZNEAUX'S TECHNIQUE
Cazneaux uses a printing technique which seems to dissolve some of his beautifully chosen landscapes into an etched effect that often loses vitality. One landscape and Industry are appealing.
Mr. Cecil Bostock in "The Quest", shows a cat wending its way between the posts of a fence and again in "Octogenarian Adventure", an old man's feet on the brink of an escalator. "Sparkling Cadence" and "Transient" are good landscapes.
Mr. Le Guay has in the past been disposed to a reckless bravura. Now, he has organized some good qualities, and in "Still Life" and "Street Scene" there is a note of sincerity.
Miss Olive Cotton's landscapes are simple, sincere and competently done, and Messrs. Louis Witt, Damien Parer and W.G. Buckle have hung pictures of interest.
Some highly original water colors and oils by Douglas Annand and A.E. Dodd occupy two panels and offer contrast.
The exhibition continues until 10th December.
Thursday 24th November 1938 Page 36 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)
EXHIBITION BY MEMBERS OF THE
CONTEMPORARY CAMERA GROUPE
Masterly collection of photographic art interpreted by such Australian cameramen as Harold Cazneaux, Cecil Bostock, Max Dupain, Douglas Annand and Laurence Le Guay.
Third Floor, Market Street Store. Admission is free.
Thursday 24th November 1938 Page 36 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)
LAST DAYS OF EXHIBITIONS!
Exhibition of Ballet Drawings by Kay Ambrose, talented young English artist, on view until Saturday only. Also Contemporary Camera Groupe Exhibition closes on Saturday. Admission to both is free. New Market Street, Store Galleries.
GEORGE JAMES MORRIS
Born: 1884, Sydney
Died: 1959
George James Morris was born in Sydney and studied modeling and engraving at Sydney Technical College and may have later taught there around 1905. Morris possibly started photography as early as 1901, but more likely around 1920-21 when he visited Germany, England and America studying engraving and photo-reproduction processes.
He began exhibiting around 1925 as a member of the Sydney Camera Circle and the Photographic Society of New South Wales.
Morris established a commercial studio in Sydney in the 1920s, specializing in advertising and industrial assignments.
In 1927 Morris became a partner in Ramsay Photo Works, responsible for the copying and enlarging work. In connection with this business Morris again traveled to Europe and America in 1936 carrying a Leica camera. Morris later exhibited his overseas pictures in the form of the largest bromoil transfers ever seen (1 m x 60 cm in size, one remains in Morris widow’s collection) which he had produced using a mangle. Morris served as secretary of the Sydney Camera Circle for many years. Morris was a close friend of Cecil Bostock with whom he shared interest in fine craft work and boating.
One of his last activities was joining the Contemporary Camera Groupe in 1938 after which, at the onset of war. Morris went to work for the Department of the Army. As a result of an accident during this work Morris suffered a long illness before his death.
Morris work was unusual in that his pictures of places show an influence of the photo-journalistic “essay” well before the documentary movement developed in Australia.
above text based on Gael Newton's, Silver and Grey
Friday 31st July 1992 Page 4 - The Canberra Times (ACT)
MAX DUPAIN
Born: 22nd April 1911, Sydney
Died: 27th July 1992
PHOTOGRAPHER, DIES
SYDNEY: Max Dupain, whose photos became icons of the Australian way of life, has died aged 81.
His death three days ago was kept secret by friends and he was buried on Wednesday at a quiet ceremony in Sydney, NSW Art Gallery director Edmund Capon said.
Mr Capon described him as the father of modern photography in Australia and a man of great initiative and drive.
The Sunbaker, his image of a young man's water-sprayed head resting on crossed arms in the sand, is etched into Australia's visual memory.
The black and white photo was taken in 1937, but remains a current image — appearing most recently on the cover of journalist John Pilger's book The Secret Country.
Dupain had been ill for some time and had stopped working a few months ago.
Dupain was part of the new generation of modern photographers who rejected the romanticism of the pictorialist movement that dominated amateur photography in the 1930s and 1940s. He was more interested in industrial landscapes.
Max exhibited in the Photographic Society of New South Wales exhibition of 1928, as a 17-year-old schoolboy and joined a Sydney studio as an apprentice two years later. By the early 1930s his more abstract style was drawing criticism as "unpicturesque".
Max set up his own studio in Bond Street, Sydney, in 1934, publishing soon after a series of photos from inner-city Pyrmont that focused on telegraph poles and car wheels rather than human elements.
Dupain joined the 1930s vogue for surrealism.
In 1938 Max Dupain and 11 other artists formed the Contemporary Camera Groupe and held an exhibition in December of that year. Dupain showed surrealist portraits and nudes.
During World War II, Dupain served with the camouflage unit in New Guinea, transferring to the Department of Information in 1945 — a position that allowed him to develop his ideas about photo-documentary.