The Adelaide Show

Alex Frayne first came to public attention with his release of a stunning coffee table, photography book, Adelaide Noir. He's back with a new book of South Australian landscapes and will take us behind the scenes of a professional photographer.

The SA Drink Of The Week is Ginache.

And in the musical pilgrimage we have a track from the Magic Tortoise band.

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Running Sheet: Alex Frayne on framing Adelaide and South Australia00:00:00 Intro

Introduction to the show.

00:03:18 SA Drink Of The Week

The SA Drink Of The Week is 2021 Ginache from Never Never Distilling Co.

00:25:53 Alex Frayne

In the foreword to Landscapes of South Australia, Murray Bramwell notes that a landscape is a scene seen from a single aspect. He notes that Frayne helps us see, almost for the first time, what it is that has been seen many times before. It is an act of revelation. My hope, in this interview is to shed some light, on local photographer and artist, Alex Frayne, so that those of us who have seen his work, can have the artist revealed.

Landscapes of South Australia on Wakefield Press

Alex Frayne Facebook Page

Alex, this chat will be more about themes rather than be based upon specific questions. There is much we can dwell upon and I expect that every stop along the way has great potential for unending conversation. But I’d like to start with the art and/or discipline of “seeing” the familiar. And perhaps your image, Maslin Beach, is a good start for undressing this topic because I’ve just come back from there, but your lens has shown that coastline in its full morning glory – autumnal tones, some water, some vegetation – it was rich and lavish and is right under our noses. How do you decide where to stop and shoot.

You have revealed the autumnal palate in many of your shots – a palate I have been hitherto unaware of. Take us through your journey of seeing light – from your time in England, to your time here in South Australia.

The outback inspires many – I’ve just returned from it – but you talk about its allure in terms of photographic nothingness – negative space. What do you mean and how does that affect your framing?

You are so masterful with your work but you also admit the Mallee has not been conquered yet. What is the challenge?

You have a film making background and I know you argue that film makers prefer night lighting. Isn’t that the bain of photography, due to grain? What’s the allure and is there such as thing as perfect black?

How do you choose between portrait, landscape, or square? And what determines the depth of an image?

Landscape photography, indeed, art itself, requires patience from three parties – the artist, the audience, and the patron, benefactor, or client who funds it. Let’s look at each one.

The artist – how do you summon the focus to have patience? And does that mean returning to a location numerous times? And how long before you admit defeat?

The audience – a coffee table book demands a coffee table and time to be spent at one. Who is the audience? How do we become your audience? And are there less of us due to us being glued to mobile phones?

The patron. In this case, Wakefield Press. They need patience for the momentum to build, do they not? What gets you that sort of support? In fact, you quit film making because photography was more lucrative. That surprises me. Can you explain?

My favourite shot from you book is The Long Dark. An Ampol service station at night, in Wistow. We see it and we see the road disappear into pitch black. That leads to introspection. Is that what you want?

There was also some fear in that photo. You say film makers still use the aussie landscape to inspire fear – you see it for revelation. Wy the difference? Isn’t it just darkness, ANYWHERE, that inspires fear?

Light Visions, Dark Intervals – tell us about this

Now, pitch the book.

01:34:46 Musical Pilgrimage

In the musical pilgrimage, we have a fitting song from Magic Tortoise, entitled, Wild. Follow Magic Tortoise on Facebook.

Magic Tortoise performs quirky, atmospheric, alt-folk music and they were brought to our attention by band member, Tim Seeley, whom Steve met last week on Hamilton Island (a perfect tortoise location, maybe).

Their next show is Friday, August 20, 2021, at Captain Rehab's, Nile St, Port Adelaide.

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