SYDNEY WEST ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHERS COLLECTIVE BIOGRAPHY
SWAP is a community based, peer led photography group that focuses on artistic photography and support for the maintenance of art practice. Participants share technical photography skills, information on technology options (use of social media/online sharing, apps and postproduction) and critique photographs from an artistic perspective. SWAP works collaboratively and individually on bodies of work and seeks exhibition opportunities either as a group or in collaboration with other parties.
SWAP members are emerging artists and are extremely diverse in their cultural heritage, skills, interests and abilities, which makes for richness in peer support and learning. All members live, work and/or play in Sydney’s West and have been a part of community arts projects in the West. SWAP believes in the importance in extending the capacity of the community to host programs in response to community needs and desires. SWAP members work in collaboration with the Cumberland Council and the Auburn Centre 4 Community to ensure that SWAP members have a location to meet, access to resources and an avenue for opening the group to a growing community membership.
SWAP is a key platform for artists to contribute to Western Sydney communities, sustaining art practice for members, finding opportunities for collaborating and connecting to and representing communities, and for growing a creative network.
Members of SWAP have been exhibiting art and photography since 2015. Individual artist biographies are available on the SWAP blog: https://sydneywestartisticphotographersblog.wordpress.com/
Selected Group or Individual Exhibitions
2018 Rolling exhibition, Starr Partners Auburn, a periodically changing exhibition of artistic photography, Auburn NSW.
2018 Stories of Us, collaborative performance of poetry and artistic photography, Sydney Writers Festival, Auburn, NSW.
2018 Stories of Us, collaborative performance of poetry and artistic photography, Cumberland Locale Festival, Granville, NSW.
2018 Head On Photo Festival, Dooleys Catholic Club, Lidcome, NSW.
2018 Cumberland Art and Photography Awards, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW.
2018 Eggshibition, on-line exhibition (forthcoming)
2017-18 Landscape, Peacock Gallery, Auburn NSW.
2017 Light for Blind: Lux is Light, Head on Photo Festival, Hurstville Museum Gallery, NSW.
2017 Cumberland Photography Awards, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW.
2016-17 The Garden of Imagination, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW.
2016 City and Nature St George Leagues Club Photographic Society, Kogarah, NSW.
2016 Cumberland Art and Photography Awards, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW.
2016 Journeys and Destinations, Leichhardt Library, Leichhardt, NSW.
2016 Cartographies of Diversity, Centre for Communities, Auburn, NSW.
2016 Map as Art, Gada’s Big Bite, Auburn, NSW.
2016 Map my Name, Online Exhibition: http://auburncartographies.com.au/map-as-art/map-my-name/
2015 Turning Point, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW.
2015 Auburn Mayoral Art and Photography Awards, Peacock Gallery, Auburn, NSW
2015 Printspace / London, Photocrowd (online exhibition)
Awards
2016 Silhouettes, Validation Award, St George Leagues Club Photographic Society
2015 Still Life, Category Winner, University of NSW PhotoClub
2015 Still Life, Highly Commended in Abstract and Artistic, University of NSW PhotoClub
Publications
2017 Sydney Photographers 2017 coffee table book, Sydney Photographers Group (publication pending)
2016 #20 Unlocked, GuruShots, online platform for photographers (https://gurushots.com/articles/get-creative-28-unbelievable-photographs-of-everyday-objects-)
2016 Sydney Photographers 2016 coffee table book, Sydney Photographers Group (http://au.blurb.com/b/7426578-sydney-photographers-2016)
2016 Community and individual school photos, Balar Malar Tamil School, Seven Hills, NSW, 2016 Annual Magazine
2015 Perceptions, End of Year Book, University of NSW PhotoClub
Memberships
Dooleys Camera Club
St George Leagues Club Photographic Society
Sydney Photography Club
Links
SWAP Blog: https://sydneywestartisticphotographersblog.wordpress.com/
Stories of Us videos: https://youtu.be/MCdWhwn4VAg and https://youtu.be/KNzeQfn-lwQ
Map My Name: http://auburncartographies.com.au/map-as-art/map-my-name/
Example Body of Work: https://www.facebook.com/AnjaysClickography
Example Body of Work: https://pengenie.wordpress.com/
Map as Art: Auburn Cartographies of Diversity – Map as Art – Photography Workshops and Artist Interviews, exhibition catalogue, sample of photographs from exhibition and artist statements: http://auburncartographies.com.au/map-as-art/photography-on-fridays/
Map as Art: Photographs exhibited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2SCGxuNx3c
GuruShots: https://gurushots.com/articles/get-creative-28-unbelievable-photographs-of-everyday-objects-
Sydney Photography Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sydneyphotographyclub/
Sydney Photographers 2016: http://au.blurb.com/b/7426578-sydney-photographers-2016
Africultures Festival: https://pengenie.wordpress.com/2017/04/30/africultures-festival-march-2016/
Delivery of Workshops
Members of SWAP have qualifications including teaching, Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAE) and provide education/training and learning support in their professional roles.
SWAP members provide peer learning sessions as part of the SWAP model. Topics have included for example travel photography, use of mobile phone apps in post production, and achieving bokeh in photographs.
Sydney West Artistic Photographers Blog 