Foto Freo Opening Event

Opening nights are often boring, endless speeches where organisers drone on about the fantastic support they get - which of course is vital to the existence of the event, but perhaps would be better acknowledged in a different environment. And before guests are fueled by alcohol and busy chatting with people they haven't seen since the last gathering. Last night didn't disappoint.

As a social gathering it was a spectacular success. A special thanks to Brad Rimmer who was the best unofficial 'host' I could have asked for introducing me to everyone. I'm always on the look out for interesting people to interview and Martine Perret, a UN photographer based in Timor, is my next subject. I'm catching up with her tomorrow to discuss her work photographing transexuals in Timor. Fascinating.

Foto Freo Interview Score

Am in Fremantle, Perth at the moment for the Foto Freo Festival. Arrived this morning from Melbourne. Already viewed five exhibitions and tomorrow am going to interview the five women photographers whose work I've been enthralled by today. 

Joy Horwood-Cooke - who spent two years traveling around Africa in the 1950's. Her black and white photos capture moments that are timeless and still relevant today in terms of sharing the cultural richness of this vast continent

Amy Stein - from New York whose exhibition Stranded is an extraordinary portrayal of abandonment and loss shot over a protracted road trip across America

Magda Stanova - a Slovakian visual artist who incorporates sketches, painting, and photography into her art. Until I saw her exhibition today I wasn't familiar with her work. She is quite unique in her interpretation of photography's role in our lives and her inclusion of words in her work takes the viewer to a headspace that perhaps we wouldn't arrive at on our own - that's the power of art

Claire Martin - an Australian photographer whose documentary style has the ability to draw you into the moment in the most vivid and intense way. I am really taken with her portraits of squatters in the Californian desert and the work she's done in the "slums" of Vancouver 

Narelle Autio - another Australian who has spent the past decade capturing our obsession with the beach except there are no photos of people, rather photos of the things we leave behind and the detritus the sea throws on shore. Not a topic that initially interested me until I saw her images which are really works of art - crisp and vivid, with almost a pop art feel

These women will feature in upcoming articles in Pro Photo magazine. 

Rock Chicks US edition is on its way

Totally pumped. Just finished the update for Rock Chicks US release which is out in October 2010. Was psyched to be writing about the girls again adding in Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Kim Deal (The Pixies and The Breeders) and Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and doing updates on those rock chicks who were in the original book - the ones that have been super busy like P!nk who in the two years since the first book came out has been touring the world, putting down a heartbreak album after her split with hubby Corey and then reconciling. That's a lot in a short period of time, but she's not one to muck around. The update on Tina Turner gives me hope - she's thinking about doing a final, final world tour. At 71. She's one rock chick that I would love to see live. If she doesn't tour to Australia I'm going to fly to see her. Doesn't matter where. That's one gig I don't want to miss.

Am now waiting to see the new photos from Tony Mott. And the new design.