Snapshots - 6

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Sunday 31 May 2009
Ron Brownson

Many years ago I gave a lecture on snapshot photography at the University of Auckland. The wonderful Sarah Currier was a Gallery colleague then and she very generously allowed me to speak about the brilliant snaps which she had pasted into her personal photo album. The album had a consistent theme - looking at punk life in New Zealand during the 1980s. It was simply one of the most interesting albums that I have ever seen. This sheet shows images taken by Sarah in 1982. The wall is 'papered' with ripout photographs of British punk culture from the period. 27 years later the same fashion style can still be seen on Auckland streets, but maybe not so similarly committed to the 'look'. Is any local punk making such an astonishing insider's view of that scene now. I hope someone is. Such memorable images as Sarah's are central to our social history and no institution here is collecting them.

On Sunday 7 June at 1pm I will talk about Snapshots - The Vernacular in New Zealand Photography in the Gallery's Art Lounge.