Photography

Marea Reed

Marea's distinctive photomedia practice creates open-ended, cinestill-like narratives, often in Arcadian settings, as metaphors for fernweh – or 'farsickness' – a desire to escape to real or imagined places or times – that is at once personal and universal.rnrnBelieving in the profound effect of immediate environment upon the psyche, her work explores the intangible threshold between what is seen and what is felt, and considers how these unbiddable responses might materialise, while allowing viewers their own instinctive responses to the story.rnrnInfluenced by both the Old Masters and cinematography, she is especially interested in the elusive space between the natural and metaphysical worlds. Her deeply saturated, time-less imagery simultaneously embraces the panoramic and the intimate, suggesting that even the widest landscape can contain intensely private realms; and reflecting the Sublime's concepts of interconnectedness, imminence and the infinite.rnrnGraduating with a BFA in Photomedia from the National Art School in 2022, Marea's work has featured in numerous domestic and international competitions, and been exhibited around Australia, as well as Germany, Spain, and the USA, with works held in private collections in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.

Artist Profile

Marea’s distinctive photomedia practice creates open-ended, cinestill-like narratives, often in Arcadian settings, as metaphors for fernweh – or ‘farsickness’ – a desire to escape to real or imagined places or times – that is at once personal and universal.

Believing in the profound effect of immediate environment upon the psyche, her work explores the intangible threshold between what is seen and what is felt, and considers how these unbiddable responses might materialise, while allowing viewers their own instinctive responses to the story.

Influenced by both the Old Masters and cinematography, she is especially interested in the elusive space between the natural and metaphysical worlds. Her deeply saturated, time-less imagery simultaneously embraces the panoramic and the intimate, suggesting that even the widest landscape can contain intensely private realms; and reflecting the Sublime’s concepts of interconnectedness, imminence and the infinite.

Graduating with a BFA in Photomedia from the National Art School in 2022, Marea’s work has featured in numerous domestic and international competitions, and been exhibited around Australia, as well as Germany, Spain, and the USA, with works held in private collections in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.

Artist Interview

What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I've always loved photography as an art form and the work of the great photographers, be they the early legends or contemporary masters of the form. For me it is a way of demonstrating both how I see the world, and also imagining how the world might be. Its creative possibilities and potential for emotional impact never cease to amaze me and I enjoy bringing those influences of great painting and cinematography into my work and seeing how viewers intuitively respond.

How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

Sometimes a location will immediately suggest a narrative to me, but I've also had ideas appear to me through literature and music, which has meant finding locations to suit. There's always research, often art history and theory, literary or historical references, costume, props and usually location test shots to gauge the light, composition and any angles that may pose difficulties. If I'm including characters, there will be a search for people, and then sometimes testing. There's been a lot of serendipity at times, in that many of my actors seem to just appear exactly when I need them.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I'm extremely fortunate to have a big, bright studio in St Leonards, only 15 minutes from home, and to be on site with several other artists and their studios. Because of the nature of my work, the studio is less where I photograph than where I bring my images to edit and test print, to experiment and to do my research. It's very peaceful – easy to get lost in my work and to lose all sense of time.