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Five brand new, state-of-the-art aircraft flew into Mascot over the Christmas break, to become part of the fleet of Beechcraft King Air 350C planes, recently purchased by NSW Ambulance.
I was commissioned to visit Kingsford Smith airport to capture this line-up of “white birds” on the tarmac … most likely the one and only time that all five planes will be in the same place at the same time.
Here’s an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the recent acquisition by NSW Ambulance: See Link
I was chaperoned onto the tarmac by Gael, Operations Manager at the Mascot NSW Air Ambulance base, pictured below. Two of the pilots who had just landed the aircraft at Mascot were standing across to one side. I couldn’t help asking them what it was like to fly in brand new aircraft. Luckily for us, the impending thunderstorm was delayed just long enough for me to get the shots of the aircraft that I wanted, before the skies opened up and a summer rainstorm bucketed down.
Each year I photograph the hard-working team at NAPWHA (The National Association of People with HIV Australia). The shots are used for their annual report, which aims to highlight NAPWA’s policy of advocacy, health promotion, effective representation and outreach on a national level. The logistics needed to get a large number of busy people to be free at the same time for a group photo is not always easy, however Saysana (Communications and Community Engagement) manages each time. We usually set up the shoot in the laneways not far from the NAPWHA offices, where the graffiti adds to the atmosphere. The urban street-scape of the back streets of Newtown creates an interesting location, although we have to continually make way for passing cars. This year we also completed a number of individual shots of Aaron, Adrian, Brent and the team posed in front of the graffiti and ivy.
For the discerning admirer of eyewear, Macleay Optics in the heart of Potts Point has a large range of the lauded brand Rolf. The eyewear manufacturer ROLF was founded in 2009 in the midst of the Tyrolean Alps. The family business produces its signature line of unique wooden frames – made without screws and maintenance-free – each in its own clever geometric case.
Lorraine Chai (see link here) is a young, dynamic musician who not only teaches and plays music but has formulated her own instructive method for musical education. I first met Lorraine 8 years ago when she came to my studio for a series of head shots and recently she returned to update her image portfolio.
Although classically trained, Lorraine has extensive music skills having studied with many renowned jazz teachers such as Judy Bailey, Sandy Evans, and Kerrie Biddell and music theatre with Pat H. Wilson.
Having grown up with a musical family, Lorraine began playing and performing from the age of four. Lorraine has studied the Guitar, Percussion, Oboe, Violin, Clarinet, and Voice. She is an international multi-talented instrumentalist and educator. Lorraine graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Studies in 2008 and then completed her Graduate Diploma of Education at the Australian Catholic University a year later. In 2009, Lorraine completed the ATCL Recital (Associate Diploma Trinity College London) in classical singing and in 2011, completed a certificate of conducting from The Australian Band and Orchestra Director’s Association (ABODA).
Lorraine Chai with some of her teaching guides for musical education
It’s coming up to that time of year once more in Sydney … yes it’s the Beresford Hotel’s annual Christmas show. Under the direction of Minnie Cooper, the forthcoming pageant features some of the bright stars of the Sydney drag scene. Surrounded by tinsel and diamonds, Fran and Coco came to my studio to pose for a series of Hollywood glamour shots for the Beresford’s poster, accompanied by dancer Hayden dressed as the Little Drummer Boy.
Fran GiapanniHayden as the Little Drummer BoyCoco Jumbo
In 2021 The Beresford continues its tradition of Absolutely Xmas. Joining Minnie Cooper, and Tora Hymen is Coco Jumbo, Fran Giapanni and Hayden as the new talent.
There’s excitement in the air. Prinnie Stevens, Australian singer, performer and all-round entertainer extraordinaire is gracing the stage for brand new productions. She came to the studio with her team (hair, makeup and styling) to create new, vibrant imagery for upcoming shows as we all rocket out of lockdown. Her performance in “Sisters are doing it for themselves” begins at the Brisbane Powerhouse in February……see Link here
Outtake, Prinnie on the set in my studio
Prinnie shot to fame for her amazing performances as a contestant on “The Voice” and subsequently she has appeared in several major stage productions including Rent, Thriller Live, The Bodyguard, Hair and Oh, What a Night! and many other theatre, cabaret and television appearances. On her instagram bio, Stevens describes herself as “Polynesian RnB Soul Singer”.
Prinnie Stevens in “Sisters are doing it for themselves”
Urban Arts Project (UAP) was commissioned by ACON and Waverley Council to create the Bondi Memorial to victims of LGBTQ hate crimes in Marks Park, Tamarama.
The Bondi Memorial public artwork honours the victims and survivors of homophobia and transphobic violence along the Sydney coastline. It acknowledges and heals the significant community trauma caused by these events, it raises greater community awareness of this issue and promotes the continuing need for relevant information to be brought to police attention.
Mark’s Park was selected as the location for the permanent memorial given its place in international history as the site of numerous attacks. Many gay men and transgender women were assaulted, and in some cases murdered, at Mark’s Park.
UAP’s design for a six-level stone terrace represents the six bands in the pride flag, and was seen as wholly embracing the memorial’s guiding principles of remembrance, diversity, inclusion, justice and acceptance.
Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley Council & Nicolas Parkhill, CEO of ACON
Voices from the gay community have said:
“It’s been too long in recognising these terrible events from our not-so-distant past,”
“Finally, we will have a permanent reminder by which we can pay respect to these men, their families, friends and the LGBTI community.”
Pictured below is Reg Domingo (ACON Communications) together with the rest of the team from ACON documenting the completion of the Bondi Memorial Project.
Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd recently completed a large scale aged-care and residential facility in Minto, in Sydney’s west. I had photographed this site during its construction phase and Hansen Yuncken asked me to document the finished project prior to the residents moving in. Anglicare Minto Gardens features independent residential living, outdoor community areas and pockets of native bushland. It was great to track the project from the early stages to its completion.
Augusto De Romanis and me in front of the Five Dock Meat Market, Sydney
Several years ago, while I was working on a photographic project exploring the subject of “meat” and butchery, I was introduced to Gus, the proprietor of the Five Dock Meat Market. Graciously Gus not only allowed me to organise a photographic shoot at his premises, but he also became an integral part of my series by agreeing to play the role of the gourmet butcher, a role for which he was more than qualified. With a sense of humour, he lent an air of professional authenticity to my surreal imagery.
John McRae, Gus, 2012 Finalist in the 2013 Head On Portrait Prize, State Library, Sydney
Happily some of the resulting photographs from the shoot reached critical acclaim – one was selected as a finalist in the 2013 Head On Portrait Prize and another was a finalist in the Blake Prize, a national competition for spiritual and religious art.
John McRae, Meat, 2012 Finalist in the 2012 Blake Prize, S&H Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Nine years on, I visited Five Dock and dropped in to say hi to Gus. He greeted me with the warmest of Italian welcomes. I even bought a whole rabbit to cook later at home based on a traditional Maltese recipe.
My colleague and friend, Audrey Rhoda is a painter who lives in the Blue Mountains where she has created her latest body of work for her November exhibition at the M2 Gallery in Surry Hills.
For many years I have been documenting her work and I helped her design the publicity for her upcoming solo show. Audrey works in various media and some of her paintings include wax to give her colours a jewel-like quality.
Audrey’s exhibition opens at M2 Gallery in Surry Hills on November 4 and continues through to November 16 (Opening hours 11am – 5pm).
Audrey Rhoda, Congregating in a liminal state of mind, 2021, Oil on linen, 95cm x 114cm
Over the years, Sydney drag identity Minnie Cooper has been a frequent visitor to my studio, posing for numerous publicity shots and posters for cabaret shows. Her photogenic skills as actress, tap-dancer, choreographer and showgirl have also been showcased when she performed as a returning contestant on Australia’s Got Talent. In spite of closures and restrictions in Sydney, Minnie’s exuberance reveals that there still exists a world of life, colour and creativity, all part of the queer expression of liberty.
Minnie came to my studio to document elements from her wardrobe and to produce new footage for projects for next year. In the studio, we made a series of videos to highlight different Minnie Cooper drag looks, and to showcase her charisma, uniqueness, verve and talent. One look was plush and operatic, another was sculptural and stone-coloured and a third was a contemporary take on an evil fairy-tale queen.
While drag sometimes exists in a world of its own, the exaggerated, camp glamour promoted by Minnie Cooper also manifests its strong political and social connotations. Hers is a sign of resilience. In Sydney, the best drag queens are community leaders who represent different forms of activism, while helping to break down barriers.
“It’s part of your DNA being a drag queen,” affirms Minnie Cooper.
For the new look book of the autumn range for So French So Chic we organised a shoot at my Lilyfield studio to compliment the location shoot we completed in Parsley Bay the week before.
Client: So French So Chic (Valerie Tsoukaris), Model: Valeria Sizova, Hair and makeup: Kevin Vella, Styling: Chris Becker. Photographer: John McRae.
Just in time for summer and the re-opening of retail in Sydney, Booty Shoes launches their latest arrivals from Europe. My latest images of their sandals, pumps and various footwear are already appearing in their on-line catalogue.
I was contacted by the marketing department of Multiplex to photograph members of their work force at the construction site of the new Sydney Fish Markets in Pyrmont on the edge of Blackwattle Bay. Work is well underway on the upgrade of this Sydney landmark.
I was tasked to create images that reflect the diversity of their employees. For example Multiplex actively promotes more women in construction as a core part of its inclusion commitment.
Together with my crew of assistants I photographed the new autumn line of linen designs by So French So Chic under the trees at Parsley Bay, Sydney. The native bushland and forest streams matched the cool shady look of the simple dresses and tailored shirts.
We had a great team which included our Russian model Valeria from Vladivostok. Of course Parsley Bay is a beautiful setting for a fashion shoot with stately Morton Bay figs, ghost gums and tree ferns. It combines lush rainforest with a sandy beach overlooking the harbour.
Client: So French So Chic (Valerie Tsoukaris). Model: Valeria Sizova. Styling: Chris Becker. Hair and Makeup: Kevin Vella. Photographer: John McRae. Assistant: Jonathan Turner.
The fashion world is constantly evolving. Over the years I’ve photographed a heady selection of haute couture design, casual street wear and accessories, both in Australia and overseas, including in Paris, Hong Kong, Beirut and Rome. Recently I photographed the novel range of face masks designed by the label Hygiene to a T (www.htoat.com.au). Each mask is handmade, washable, reusable and reversible.
Hygiene to a T has launched its range of colourful, Australiana masks which are stylish and still highly protective. Their beautiful fabrics feature cockatoos, wallabies, bandicoots, wattle and banksia, but also more funky urban patterns, including a comic-book Spiderman. Wearing a mask of a masked superhero has its own ironic, Pop culture edge. Hygiene to a T cleverly encourages you to stay safe with style.
Ceramic figure by Dutch artist Frans Franciscus, 2021
Sometimes in the art world, coincidences can be a great joy. I just received an invitation to a solo presentation of new ceramic sculptures by Dutch artist Frans Franciscus (www.fransfranciscus.nl), showing one of his elongated, nude figures. Franciscus has posed his male subject upside-down, like a naked totem. Immediately I was reminded of one of my own works, a surreal portrait of Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham. In my photograph taken in Sydney ten years ago, Matt poses in his diving trunks, balanced on his hands in the abandoned rail yards at Lilyfield.
John McRae, Matthew Mitcham, Lilyfield, 2011
The silhouette and mood are very similar in both of our works. Franciscus says he “combines or re-arranges compositions of old masters depicting biblical stories in an up-to-date and idiosyncratic fashion.” Using sculpture, paintings, drawings and photographs, his art tackles racism, discrimination and social discomfort. I sometimes do the same thing in my photographs. Frans Franciscus, who is also a great friend of my mate the Dutch artist Erwin Olaf, will be featured in “This Art Fair” to be held at the Kromhouthal in Amsterdam, August 26-29, 2021, with seven new sculptures presented in his solo called as “Clay Only”. Inspired by medieval and Renaissance painting, Surrealism, religious iconography and classical mythology, Franciscus’ artwork always tries to create space for a broader view on humankind.
My portrait photograph of Matt was taken in the industrial area still “under development for the West Connex”, at the site next to the Lilyfield light rail, from where you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was taken as part of a fashion shoot that I was staging for the Australian label “Gossip”. I had decided to incorporate different narratives into the fashion shots … to that end I enlisted “extras” to appear in the backgrounds. Matt, who at the time lived nearby, was included as part of this concept.
John McRae, Fashion shoot for Gossip Couture, 2011
This was only three years after Matt had won his gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in the 10-metre diving event, with what is still the highest-scoring single dive in Olympic history. My photos were taken in March, 2011.
Now and then it can be great to have a bit of fun in the studio and just see where things take you. Adam is a friend who was keen to play along. We raided the costume box and this is what we found. The results are a bit of Goldfinger, and Madonna, and Shirley Bassey, and Liberace, and Moulin Rouge, and James Bond.
For this shoot for So French So Chic, we decided to photograph the winter collection of jumpers and knits in a neutral warehouse setting.
With more than 20 years of experience So French So Chic is focused on stylish but casual clothing made from knitwear and all-natural fibres. Designed in France and produced in Italy for the Australian climate, the new range for SFSC features cable knit, bold colours and soft fabric.
Callan Park, a large parkland on the Sydney foreshore, borders the suburbs of Rozelle, Lilyfield and Leichhardt. Just across the road from my photography studio, the park stretches down to the water’s edge. I regularly go for walks on the lawns, amidst the centuries old trees and the heritage buildings. It’s both a sanctuary and an oasis.
Over the years I have photographed the interiors of different buildings within Callan Park, especially the abandoned psychiatric wards, which featured as a backdrop for my “Looney Bin” and “Ward 17” series. These sandstone buildings have been shown in my exhibitions in Rome, Ravello, Trieste and Sydney.
One of the original buildings in Callan Park officially entitled the house of “The Master of Lunacy”
