Matthew Dowling - Master Craftsman with still Photography

From Landcare Officer: to Landscape Photographer: to Photographic Artist

I first became interested in taking landscape photographs in 1990 when I was employed as a Landcare Officer based at Port Augusta. During the three years I worked for the Department of Agriculture, I travelled huge distances attending landcare meetings from the Gawler Ranges west of Port Augusta, to Copper Hills Station near Marla and even at Moomba in the middle of the Strzelecki Desert.

It was during those long trips by car or plane that I fell in love with the desert landscape of outback South Australia and the almost overwhelming beauty of the Flinders Ranges. Although I’d visited these regions many times before, it almost felt like I’d rediscovered this vast expanse of SA by experiencing the full range of seasonal changes that have created this complex ancient landscape.

Gradually I expanded my range of subject matter and to my delight I discovered the ‘moody’ wetlands of the Limestone Coast/South East region; the Adelaide Botanic Gardens; Fleurieu Peninsula’s exquisite coastal landscapes; grand 19th Century buildings; the mining history and secluded beaches of Yorke Peninsula; the fabulous isolation of Kangaroo Island and the most rewarding of all - capturing people ‘doing their own thing’ whilst completely oblivious of the camera.

Many people ask me how I came to be a photographer – did I do a course etc? No, I am not an industry trained photographer. I believe that my ability to compose a photographer developed during my degree in Parks & Wildlife Management and the many environmental projects that I was associated with over a 15 year period.

Probably the signature tune of my early photography is typified in the two Flinders Ranges landscapes entitled: ‘Road to Freedom, Wilpena Pound’ and ‘Ridge Top Tour, Arkaroola’. When composing a photograph I attempt to have as many contrasting colours and patterns in the camera’s view finder as possible.

Shifting to Willunga

Over the years I have spent a great deal of time in the area bounded by Pt Noarlunga, McLaren Vale, Willunga and Sellicks Beach. So in September 2003 I decided to put my character filled bluestone cottage on the market and shift from a highly desirable Adelaide CBD location.

During October I lived with a friend at Myponga. By November I had found a place to live in Willunga and it was time to explore what this fabulous Fleurieu landscape has to offer – a spectacular coastline, the sensuous sweep of the Sellicks Hill Range, dozens of wineries in all sorts of interesting locations, a wonderful ‘foodie’ culture, the Willunga Farmers Market and a thriving artistic community which has spawned the ultra creative ‘wearable art’ movement.

In October 2004 I had an exhibition at the McLaren Vale Visitor Centre which I called ‘Epi:Fleurean’ as the 30 photographs it contained reflected the epicurean nature of the Fleurieu Peninsula: an inspiring landscape from which a thriving food, wine, beach and art culture has developed.

Becoming a Photographic Artist/Discovering Wearable Art

During 2004 I decided to have some of my photographs printed onto canvas via the giclee method which involves spraying ink at extremely high pressure onto the canvas. The two pieces ‘Myponga Beach Storm’ and ‘Sentinels of the Sea, Myponga Beach’ are examples of the giclee method.

I am extremely pleased at the quality of the giclee method produced by Watermark Fine Art Publishing at Glen Osmond. The digital image used for both of these works was first captured in landscape format with an SLR camera using photographic film.

The landscape version of this photograph (‘Myponga Beach Storm’) was seen by artist Evelyn Roth at Willunga’s High St Gallery in the autumn of 2004. She asked me to collaborate with her and artist husband John Davis to produce a coat based around this image. In order to fit onto the coat, the image was converted from landscape into portrait format which has now become an image of its own: ‘Sentinels of the Sea’.

The central part of the coat is this image which has been printed onto canvas. Evelyn has then created the coat around this strip of canvas and John has then painted both sides of the original canvas strip.

It has been quite a journey for the original 6 x 4 inch landscape format photograph - first seen by Craig Bowyer (curator of the High Street Gallery). Peter Nicholson from Watermark Publishing then encouraged me to have it printed onto canvas. Once the canvas strip for the ‘wearable art’ coat was produced, I then decided to have a larger portrait format version of this digital image created via the giclee method.

This work was recently exhibited as part of the 12th annual Surf Art Exhibition held at the Arts Centre, Pt Noarlunga. As of January 17th, this exhibition will be moved to the Parks Arts and Function Centre, Angle Park until March 4th.

Incorporating Human Form into the Natural Landscape

Whilst working at the High St Gallery, visitors from Adelaide often remarked to me how sensual the Sellicks Hill Ranges were. These ranges form a prominent backdrop to the township of Willunga. Gradually it dawned on me that I should create a photographic art portfolio which reflects the sensuous nature of the Fleurieu Peninsula by incorporating the human form into my landscape photographs.

The image that best captured the synergistic relationship between the human form and natural landscapes is: ‘Lady Lettuce, Maslin Cliffs Golden Hour’. This photograph was captured  during the golden hour which is approximately an hour before sunset when the harsh rays of the midday sun finally soften and bath the landscape in a soft golden glow.

The location of Maslin Beach cliffs was specifically chosen as it combines stunning ochre cliffs which become sublimely beautiful during the golden hour whilst also allowing the photographer a superb vantage point of the distant headlands which arc off to the right in a sensual curve as the Fleurieu Peninsula sweeps towards Kangaroo Island.

Embracing New Technology

Having intensively used the fabulous program Photoshop for 12 months or so, during 2005 quite by chance I discovered that it was possible to easily reverse the colours of an image, such that a blue sky become ochre and ochre rocks are converted into various shades of blue. At its best this reversal of colour can transform an image into what is best described as ‘colour x-ray’.

The attractive ochre rocks in the photo ‘Rocky Coastline, Victor Harbor’ appear to be almost radio-active in the colour reversal image, hence the title ‘Radio-active Rocks Victor Harbor ’. Another image that is magically transformed via the invert tool in Photoshop is ‘Aeroplane Surfer, Pt Noarlunga’. The first time I saw the colour reversal image the title instantly came to me ‘Surfing Astronaut, Pt Noarlunga’.