Joyce Evans, 'Gertrude, Boola Boolka Station, New South Wales', 2006, nla.obj-153040091
Joyce Evans by Sasha Grishin
A new title from NLA Publishing showcases Australian photographer Joyce Evans’ body of work.
Joyce Evans had an active presence in the Melbourne photography scene from the 1970s onwards, as a photographer with more than 18 solo exhibitions to her name, but also as a pioneer gallery director, collector and lecturer.
She never developed a signature photographic style, but author Sasha Grishin’s extensive interviews with the photographer, coupled with unrivalled access to her photographic archive, reveal a sensibility that has become characteristic of her images.
In her documentary work specifically, and through her choice of subjects, Evans also pursued an agenda that shone a light on racism, social inequality and environmental degradation.
‘I don’t know what sort of photographer I am, but I try to be an honest one.’ – Joyce Evans.
Joyce Evans is a stylish and generously illustrated publication showing how Evans’ photography was about capturing the essence of her subjects. It illustrates Evans’ belief that in silence and stillness you come to feel the spirit of the subject, and that capturing this spirit was the photographer’s goal.
Evans combined documentary photography, social photography, landscape photography and studio practice in her images, which capture essential aspects of Australian life.
About the author
Professor Sasha Grishin AM FAHA established the academic discipline of Art History at the ANU and was the Sir William Dobell Professor of Art History and Head of Art History and Curatorship at the ANU until December 2013. He works internationally as an art historian, art critic and curator. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) for services to Australian art and art history. He has published over twenty-five books and over two thousand articles and catalogue essays dealing with various aspects of art.
Additional Information
Image
Images for media use are available for download via Dropbox.
Extracts from the book are available on request.
Two of Joyce Evans’ images are currently on display in the National Library’s Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now exhibition. A smaller showcase of her work is scheduled to open at the Library in 2023.
Contact
Georgia McDonald, Media Liaison, National Library of Australia
M: 0401 226 697
