The Well Kept Wilderness revisited

Jenny Tomlin

Photospace Gallery
1st floor, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington

6 December 2024 - 1 February 2025

These images from 1984 and 1985 are a selection from 2 series; The Other Land shown at Real Pictures and The Well Kept Wilderness, made in response to the former but not exhibited until 2017. It was a very creative period for me just after graduating from Elam and working as a Cibachrome printer at Real Pictures, an artist-run print lab and gallery. Alongside honing printing skills, it was a nurturing space to develop my practice amongst like minded photographers.

With both series I was searching for ‘gardens’ – exploring pockets of urban or industrial wasteland and recording the visual vitality in the plant communities changing over time. Later, returning to wilder spaces in the Waitakeres or Coromandel, I wanted to see if the natural landscape evoked similar ideas of order within chaos.

A trackless area along the Waitakere coast was particularly rich. The tide and wind constantly moving the landscape and there is a sense of isolation and freedom. The bulk and weight of the 4x5 camera counter balance this and dictate a slower more thoughtful approach with limited sheets of film. Viewing the subject through the camera’s ground glass under a black cloth transforms it, showing an ephemeral quality. I enjoy the opposing balance of control while being open to the moment. With longer exposures, the sun can change and transform the scene.

This appreciation of time and serendipity still thread through my current pinhole and cameraless work.
- Jenny Tomlin 2024.