Author(s): Chris Corson-Scott and Edward Hanfling

Photography

Pictures They Want to Make presents a selection of works by twelve contemporary photographers, and examines the various ways in which the images are created, and the motivations that drive them. Each of the artists has a connection to the Auckland region; (Mark Adams, Edith Amituanai, Fiona Amundsen, Harvey Benge, Bruce Connew, Chris Corson-Scott, Ngahuia Harrison, Derek Henderson, Ian Macdonald, Haru Sameshima, Geoffrey Short, Talia Smith.), some of the photographs capture aspects of that region's culture and landscape, while others testify to the mobility and ambition of the artists--their familiarity with other places and people. The images reveal distinctive identities and characters, Auckland's place in the Pacific, the influence of history on the contemporary environment, the wonder of the commonplace, and much more. Most of all, they are personal statements; they are about how the artists see the world. Included in the book are some of New Zealand's most acclaimed photographers, as well as a number of exciting emerging artists. For each artist there is a full page of text followed by representative examples of their work, while an introductory essay establishes the case for looking beyond the more easily recognisable aspects of subject matter to the different effects and feelings of the images themselves.