The New Photography

The New Photography

New Zealand’s first generation contemporary photographers

Gary Baigent, Richard Collins, John Daley, John Fields, Max Oettli, John B Turner, Len Wesney, Ans Westra

Edited by Athol McCredie

Published by Te Papa Press: June 2019
NZ RRP (incl. GST): $70.00
216 pages, Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-9951031-9-1

Book Launch: Tuesday 11 June, 6 p.m. at Unity Books, 57 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

Purchase from Te Papa Bookshop, $69.90

Read the PhotoForum review by Deidra Sullivan

In this handsome book, leading photography curator Athol McCredie tells the story of the beginnings of contemporary photography – also known as art photography – in New Zealand. Through interviews with the photographers Gary Baigent, Richard Collins, John Daley, John Fields, Max Oettli, John B Turner, Len Wesney and Ans Westra, and accompanied by an outstanding introductory essay, McCredie shows how the break-through approach of personal documentary photography created a new field of photography in New Zealand that was not simply illustrative but rather spoke for itself and with its own language.

Athol McCredie is Curator Photography at Te Papa, where he has worked since 2001. Prior to that he was curator and acting director at Manawatu Art Gallery (now Te Manawa), and he has been involved with photography as an author, researcher, curator and photographer since the 1970s. His most recent book is New Zealand Photography Collected (Te Papa Press) which was shortlisted for the 2016 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Read an interview with Athol McCredie on the Te Papa blog

Gary Baigent, Milk Bar, Grey's Avenue, Auckland, 1963

Gary Baigent, The Strand, Parnell, Auckland, 1964

Gary Baigent, Brian Coker, Remuera, Auckland, 1967

Gary Baigent, Johnny Herman's smile, Auckland, 1968

Gary Baigent, ‘Christian Spiritualist', Auckland, 1970

Richard Collins, Pakiri Beach, Auckland, 1969

Richard Collins, Pakiri, Auckland, 1969

Richard Collins, Pakiri, Auckland, 1969

Richard Collins, Great Barrier Island, Auckland, 1971

John Daley, Vivian Street, Wellington, 1968

John Daley, Bus driver, Victoria Street, Hamilton, 1969

John Daley, Teed Street and Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland, 1969

John Daley, Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland, 1974

John Daley, Las Vegas Strip Club, Karangahape Road, Auckland, 1974

John Fields, Oneroa Beach, Waiheke Island, Auckland, 1969

John Fields, Couple, Architects' Club, Auckland, 1969

John Fields, Traffic officers and couple, Auckland, 1969

John Fields, Father and daughter, East Cape, 1969

John Fields, Helvi, Mount Eden, Auckland, 1970

John Fields, Car at Waihou Bridge, Thames, 1974

Max Oettli, Matchless 350, Waikato, 1966

Max Oettli, West Wind Coffee Bar, 1968

Max Oettli, Rene, Princes Street, Auckland, 1970

Max Oettli, Department Store, Auckland, 1972

Max Oettli, Store, Auckland, 1972

John B Turner, Hori Gardener, Government Printing Office, Wellington, 1965

John B Turner, Hail storm, Willis St, Wellington c.1966

John B Turner, Mal and Freda Turner, Lower Hutt, 1967

John B Turner, Workers, beer garden wall, Tory Street, Wellington, 1969, from the series ‘Beer garden wall’ 1968-69

John B Turner, Kemp House, Kerikeri, 1975

Len Wesney, Baptism, Christchurch, 1972

Len Wesney, Plaster hand, Childrens' Play Centre, Christchurch, 1972

Len Wesney, On Cook Strait ferry, New Zealand, 1972

Len Wesney, Christchurch, 1973

Len Wesney, Christchurch, 1974

Ans Westra, Catching crickets, Greymouth, 1971

Ans Westra, Crowd, Cuba Mall, Wellington, 1971, from portfolio The New Zealanders

Ans Westra, Hokitika, West Coast bar, 1971, from portfolio The New Zealanders

Ans Westra, Rock Concert, Te Horo, 1971

Ans Westra, At the Winter Show Building, Wellington, 1971