There's Sunscreen In The Holy Water
Tim Baker stops by to chat his new zine and exhibition happening this week!
This month I have been lucky enough to participate in two exhibitions! I never thought I would see my work on a wall (other than my own or my mums) so being in two shows this month feels pretty huge for me. Keep reading to find out more about this exhibition and the man behind it all!
Housekeeping
Only 2 portfolio review spots remain for this month so if you have been thinking about it snap one up now! Lately I have enlisted a lot of help and seen my business and my art through new eyes and I cannot tell you how valuable it has been to really open myself up and let someone else do all the thinking and critiquing.
We can get so caught up in a spiral of our own judgement and end up never progressing because of it. Photography can be a bit of a lonely practice sometimes so if you feel you need feedback, a push, some direction or you want to know how another artist perceives your work then book in a review and let me help you. :)
My number one camera carry made by Hung Supply is back in stock after many months of waiting! The Sidewalk Sling is with me at every job and when we travel. Lux is a very practical man and he is never without his HS sling. The team have kindly shared a 10% off code with me for you guys to use LUCY10 at checkout or hit the button below to shop their camera pouches, slings and cool t-shirts!
Now let’s get into todays guest interview with the awesome Tim Baker.
Hey Tim! Thanks for joining us. Can you give us the who, what and where of Tim Baker so we can get to know you a little?
My name is Tim Baker, everyone just calls me Baker. I’m a photographer based on the South Coast of NSW in a tiny town called Coalcliff. I work with most formats of film, 8mm, 16mm, 35mm and 120 film. Although I’d say 95% of my work is on 35mm. It’s rare you’ll find me without a camera around my neck and I probably have the most unorganised archive in the Southern Hemisphere.
Can you describe your photography style for us or give us a vibe you tend to go for with your work?
I guess you could say it's observational and candid. I like capturing small scenes that look like they might be from their own film. A friend recently pointed out that I use a lot of juxtaposition. Finding calmness in the chaotic and vice versa. You can see a lot of that in this zine.
Tell us more about your recent zine "There's Sunscreen in the Holy Water" the name is very cool so def wanna know more about that choice?
To be completely honest with you I’m probably just as proud of the name as I am of the whole body of work. It came from a poem I wrote back in 2017 on a Eurotrip. It sat in my notebook until I was searching for a name that summed up this body of work. I guess it’s an observational odyssey set to the backdrop of a Euro-summer. With keen eyes you can spot all the landmarks throughout the zine though I found myself more drawn to the people at the bottom of those landmarks. The name kind of refers to a corruption or a sullying of something sacred or beautiful. How tourism can be overwhelming in a city. Though I feel the photos show a side that is a bit less cynical.
You have a solo and group show coming up in Sydney that I feel so honored to be a part of. Can you talk us through the process of this coming together and why it felt like the right way for you to share this work, as well as wanting to bring other artists in on the experience?
Thank you so much for jumping on board Lucy! I’d set out to pull together a body of work and have my first solo show with this project which was on the 1st of March at Clifton School of Arts. I used to live in Sydney and kind of wanted to “tour” the exhibition. I wanted to make the Sydney show a bit more of a party vibe so thought I’d open the doors up to some other photographers and some muso mates.
It's a bit of an odd format doing a hybrid solo and group show though it’s been fun curating works from people across the east coast and booking bands who pair well with the project.
Do you wish more artists put on shows or did more with their work these days? Do you feel like there are a lot of barriers in place when it comes to putting on a physical show? I would love to hear your thoughts on this as it's something I wrestle with a lot.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on how people always talk about how music is basically free and no one places value in it anymore. Then I got thinking about the photo and how it lost all of that looooong, long ago. With social media and the internet we are bombarded with images and photography 24/7 and it’s sometimes hard to think that there’s someone's creative brain behind those images and that we can take photos for granted.
Exhibitions and in a similar way zines/photobooks claim some of that value back. It’s a way for people to slow down and absorb a photo. Try to take meaning away, figure out what’s going on or simply just get lost in the beauty of an image..
I feel like there aren’t enough photo galleries or resources in Australia. There’s definitely some cool stuff happening though some of that can feel out of reach for people just starting out or just dabbling. There’s some barriers when it comes to hiring a space though with any barrier comes creativity. This whole process of organising two shows in a completely different way has invigorated me and I’m looking to host another group show or two before the year is out. You can literally watch a live band anywhere, why not have a photography exhibition anywhere?!
I encourage folks to grab a couple of friends, find a wall in a pub, cafe, bar, alleyway and just put on a show!
What's on the horizon for you in 2024? Do you have any big plans or dreams or anything you want to bring to life or complete, project wise?
I have a short film and a play in my head and I’d love to get one of them out and onto paper before the year’s out. I’ve never written either before but the stories are taking up too much space up there! I’m also working on launching a new business with some photographer friends called Destiny’s Film Farm. We’re selling re-spooled cinema film, zines and any other analogue photography stuff that may come our way.
Lastly, let us know where we can find you online and also where we can see the show this month!?
On Instagram, @baker3 or my site timwillbaker.com or in person at Goodspace Gallery above The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale, NSW 20th March.
Hit up the show if you are in the area and follow Tim Baker to stay up to date with what he is up to. Check out Goodspace gallery too and consider this your sign to make a zine, have a show or work on something cool that shares your work this year! Thanks for joining us Tim!
This is great