Samantha Mackie | Artist 

Exhibiting artist at 'Things I Wanted To Say But Never Did' | Group Exhibition. 

Opens to the public 4th September 2019, 6pm - 8pm.  

Tell us about yourself.

I like to find ways to combine photography and bookbinding. I like to focus on the detail, the pattern and to find repetition. I like to express common and personal experiences of place and time in my work with themes that often end up centring around memory, feminism, family and duty. My works often an underlying purpose to document, protect and retain. 

What can the audience expect of your response to the theme?

The work I am exhibiting for TIWTSBDN combines bookbinding, photography into a 3D paper installation. 5 small handmade books contain fragments of 3 portraits taken of my father in hospital. It was the best of times, the worst of times… as they say. The images are moveable via a long thread that pulls them back into a small pocket in a small book. Respectfully and quietly filed away. The process of installing and de-installing this work requires slow hours of teeth-gritting patience (perhaps a tiny little bit like my relationship with Dad) and I never know quite how it will be configured - this in itself has become a part of the work.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Curious, enthusiastic (ok sometimes frenetic), messy.

If you could say 1 thing to an ex lover, what would you say?

Well given this work is about my dad I going to answer with that in mind…

From all the things you could not say, would not say I will learn to be more.

ARTIST BIO: Samantha is a full time Sydney based photographer who also runs bookbinding workshops. She also enjoys using photography to create abstracted landscapes. Her works have been selected as finalists for art prizes including The Little Things Art Prize (St Cloche), The North Sydney Art Prize, Ravenswood Art Prize and have been exhibited in group shows at Eramboo, The Corner Store Gallery Orange, Contact Sheet Gallery.

Follow Samantha on Instagram here: @samantha_mackie

Website: www.samanthamackie.com

https://contactsheet.com.au/blogs/exhibitions/things-i-wanted-to-say-but-never-did-exhibition