Windscreen Washers 2012-2018

Mary Hutchinson

Photospace Gallery
37 Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington

30 January - 27 February 2021

Opening Thursday, 4 February, 5pm-7pm

Windscreen Washers is a black and white series I have been making since 2012, though the initial photo that year was taken before I started intentionally doing street photographs. All except one of the images were taken in my home city of Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington.

I got seriously into my street and social documentary photography during a visit to the UK in 2014. That year, during a visit to Tooting Broadway Market, London, I was excited to see their community art exhibition boards. In 2019 I exhibited some of the current car windscreen washers images there, together with a life-sized 'paste-up' portrait of ‘Jack’ .

I am interested in people who are sometimes regarded as being on the fringes of our communities, and am inspired by JR, BENT, and other street artists; thus in addition to making fine art prints, in 2017 I started making outdoor life-sized, photocopier printed, ephemeral 'paste-ups'.

I have previously exhibited other black and white series and contributed colour work to Photospace's 2020 online exhibition 'A Month of Sundays' during Covid19 lockdown . My four self published black and white street photography books can be seen on my website, with copies for sale. I also make free photo-zines; 'clenescrenezene' (edition of 30) which accompany this exhibition.'

- Mary Hutchinson, January 2021