There might be some familiar faces on display at the latest exhibition at the Dubbo Regional Council’s (DRC’s) Western Plains Cultural Centre (WPCC) from this Saturday 28 November 2020, when Ronnie Grammatica’s photographic survey 200 Years On,goes on display.
The portraits capture a cross section of regional NSW and were inspired by the 1818 Macquarie River expedition of British explorer John Oxley. Born in Italy, and migrating to Australia seven years ago, Ronnie Grammatica understands the challenges associated with trying to form a sense of belonging in a new country, and has utilised portraiture as his medium to explore cultural identities and stories of individuals and places within regional NSW.
“As a migrant living in Regional NSW, I am still exploring what it means to be Australian. I was born in Italy and have spent most of my life there, only relocating to Australia seven years ago. This has given me a unique perspective, experiencing our local community initially through fresh eyes as an outsider, and now from within as I have grown to become part of our community,” said Grammatica.
Colour is a big aspect of Grammatica’s work, where he not only captures the physical essence of the subject, but also provides the viewer with a glimpse of his or her personality, through their posture and attire – including colourful scarves, shirts, and dresses.
“I want the audience to stop, look, listen and reflect on the stories of these individuals as well as the story of our community and who we are today. These portraits reflect the rapidly changing society of regional NSW. When the bicentenary celebrations for Port Macquarie began, I wanted to know more. I began to read and discover more about the history of the town, who John Oxley was, and what his expedition meant for the traditional custodians of this land. I started to think about what he and his expedition would have seen and who they would have met on their journey 200 years ago, which led me to this project – If I travelled the same route, what would I see and who would I meet?” he said.
DRC’s curator Mariam Abboud says the portraits reflect the rapidly changing society of regional NSW, while simultaneously referencing the historic nature of Australia, a nation built on the foundation of immigration.
“These portraits emphasize the importance and contributions each individual has made to our rapidy-changing society. Grammatica explores the cultural identities and stories of these individuals in a stunning display that captures the imagination,” said Ms Abboud.
Mayor of the Dubbo Region, Councillor Ben Shields, says the work shows how diverse regional NSW is, and the viewer will appreciate the details that has gone into capturing the images.
“These photographs have the option of an interactive audio guide tour, so viewers can not only visually follow the story, but also hear the individual stories of the people captured. It makes for a great experience,” said Councillor Shields.
200 Years On is on exhibition at the WPCC from 28 November 2020 – 7 February 2021.
Source: DRC