Louis Porter: Photo fodder and Flora’s curry

Monday 18 January 2010, 9.38 AM
By The Team | Posted in Places

Australian photographer, Louis Porter, has found much more than a chronicle of car park construction and dished crossings in City of Melbourne’s archive of practical photography.

The curator and artist behind Record and Analysis - Engineering photographs from the City of Melbourne’s collection talks to us about life as an artist in Melbourne.

You grew up in England and now call Melbourne home. What is special about this city that made you want to stay?

Melbourne is a very good city for artists, the cost of living is low compared to cities like New York and London, but there are lots of galleries, suppliers of materials and other artists to bounce ideas off.

I live in Fitzroy and have a studio in Collingwood, which means I can walk to work and the city centre. On an artist’s income this would be simply impossible in the UK.

What’s special about the Record and Analysis collection?

Personally, I think the photographs are just fantastic – it can be hard properly putting these things into words. What is quite unusual is how complete the collection of engineering photographs is. We have all the negatives and proofs as well as the binders and envelopes they were stored in. They highlight the fact that the city is in a constant state of flux and that it’s people that drive these changes.

Your photography subjects vary from flowers installed in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics, to interesting travel shots for Cheap Flights, what’s your favourite subject to photograph in Melbourne?

I spend a lot of time out in suburbia but that’s probably because there is so much of it. I’ve got pretty broad tastes and really I’m only limited by time as to what I photograph. I do have a bit of a thing for dogs although I’ve only got one dog related set on my site. I’ve made a few series on ‘man’s best friend’ – the most fun was photographing Rita and Mayer of Chihuahua Rescue Victoria.

What are some of your favourite spots in inner-city Melbourne to sit and watch the world go by?

Curtin House when the Rooftop Cinema is running has just about everything I could ever want (except for curry which I tend to get at Flora’s on Flinders Street).

And finally, why should Melburnians go to see Record and Analysis at the City Gallery?

The City Gallery is quite a remarkable place, there aren’t too many like it, so I’d hope that Melburnians would try to get along to all shows.

Record and Analysis – Engineering photographs from the City of Melbourne’s collection is showing at City Gallery until 30 January.

Links:

Curtin House: Located at 225 Swanston Street, Curtin House is home to Cookie, The Toff in Town, Rooftop Cinema, The Thousands Shop, and Metropolis Books.

Flora Indian Cafe: 238 Flinders Street, 03 9663 1212

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