Between Urgency and Leisure brings together a selection of photographic works from our collection, alongside newly commissioned additions, to present a multilayered portrait of Penrith and its communities. From archival photographs that capture life in Penrith as a pastoral outpost of Sydney, through to photographic portraits that celebrate the social and cultural zeitgeist of our times, the exhibition highlights the ever-changing function of documentary and social photography today.
In this moment in time, there are roughly 750 billion photographs currently in circulation online, ranging from the commonplace to the remarkable. Any online search for photographs of Penrith will return an adequate, if simplified, image of the physical conditions of our locale. However, this algorithmic conjuring of place is only part of the picture.
Recalling the history of Penrith Regional Gallery in commissioning new bodies of work, the exhibition presents artworks that highlight and celebrate the lives and livelihoods of the people of Penrith. Through strategies of socials and community-engagement, and a collaborative approach to image-making, the artists in this exhibition present a multifaceted and nuanced representation of the region.
Historically, documentary photography’s claim to truth telling and representation was unchallenged. However, with the explosion of the digital image and our increasing wariness of the authoritative image, the potential of the subjective documentary photograph has emerged. Shifting between examples of staged portraiture, through to capturing candid moments, Between Urgency and Leisure is an invitation to immerse yourself within the world of these works, which together present an intricate and complex web of connections.
