One of our talented graduates, Jordan Madge, is opening his Elysian Fields exhibition at CCP on Friday night. The exhibition runs through until the 12th of March. We wish Jordan a fantastic opening night and we hope to see you there!
Elysian Fields is a portrait of the community of Rutherglen, a small town in North-Eastern Victoria, Australia. The work derives from two found photographs and reflects Jordan Madge’s interest in appropriation and the found image, and its capacity to contextualise contemporary social and physical Australian landscapes.
We also took this opportunity to speak to Jordan about his time at PSC and his exhibition.
Why did you decide to study at PSC?
I was drawn towards PSC because of how photographically driven it is as an institution. The appeal in that for me was a sense of immersion in photography.
How did PSC help get you where you are today?
The network that was built and nurtured during my time at PSC was probably one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of where I am in regards to achieving personal goals.
Tell us about your new exhibition.
Elysian Fields is the title of the work that I’ll be showing at The Centre for Contemporary Photography in Fitzroy from late January until the middle of march. The work was derived from two found photographs dating back to 1949 and 1950 that depict the entire town of Rutherglen. The use of appropriation has been an element of previous projects. I’m curious to see what meaning is received from re-contextualising and manipulating pre-existing material. Being able to show the work in a gallery context where I have full control of lighting, size and material gives me the opportunity to alter the original meaning on another platform.
Who and/or what inspires you?
What inspires me is continually changing, one day it might be an article I’ve read on a website I’ve never seen and the next it may be a manipulated face on a worn down poster.
What has been the most rewarding part of your career so far?
One of the most rewarding parts of my career would have been going to Japan to hold a solo exhibition and residency. Being accepted for the residency Japan, in my mind, showed me that I can physically take photography anywhere in the world and that there are opportunities everywhere, at home and abroad.
Elysian Fields is proudly supported by the Photography Studies College Print Shop.
