Yarra Yarra, Photographic Work, 2023

Art & Photography

Yarra Yarra Photographic Work by Putu Pradaswari

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Please refer to the Milanote link for the research & for the extensive moodboard

Precedent photographers and photographs: https://app.milanote.com/1QCh4H1XdOuB7P?p=Nfl2LzsO1uM Exploration of theme: https://app.milanote.com/1QChcG1XdOuB7S?p=eSvgWJGjW9j

Photographer Research

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Scarred Tree The Scarred Tree is located in the Fitzroy Garden, that traces the long Aboriginal history. It is a historic gem of the pre-settlement period of our metropolis as it introduces us to and teaches us about the practice of the First Nation people that lives alongside nature. Now, often we see along the streetscape of Melbourne, other species of trees that are not native to Australia were planted as the part of the urban master plan design. In this photographic image, the Scarred Tree is overlayed onto the image of an Elm tree found in Fitzroy Garden to showcase the juxtaposition between the two periods of time: pre and post settlement.

Metadata Date: 20/10/2023

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter speed: 1/250sec.

Photographic Images

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Queen St Bridge A waterfall was onced located in the Queen St Bridge. An upcoming question emerged during my exploration in our civic landscape, “how is it so challenging to discover the traces from the First Nation’s culture & history in our city?”. The urban decisions that were made post the European settlement had altered the fabrics of our city. A lot of them are evident around the Yarra River area, which is called the “Birrarung” by the Wurundjeri. It was transformed into the Queen St Bridge to allow an improved mobilisation for water transport, and now serves as the connector of the civic nodes, next to and under.

Metadata Date: 13/10/2023

ISO: 500

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/250sec.

Photographic Images

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Forklift Queen Victoria Market is one of the Melbourne’s icons, established after the European settlement, and has been serving the Melburnians for 140 years. The vibrant nature of the market, providing us with an extensive list of whosale and retails is one of the photographic attraction that I want to capture. Instead of capturing the mainstream “Queen Victoria Market” signs and entrances, I was more inspired to learn and observe more about the operation of the architypes, the mood and condition after its lengthy opening hours. I am intrigued to capture the “nature” because it is now our definition of the “urban landscape”.

Metadata Date: 9/9/2023

ISO: 6400

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/800sec.

Photographic Images

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Tiered Throughout the time, it is inevitable that architectonic is the sole witness of human occupation as it continuosly adding onto and expands our urban landscape. Melbourne as a fast growing metropolis performs a great example of how economic growth and cultural history aligns to the population growth. Interests keep coming from different sides, not only nationally, but also internationally. A new question appeared in my mind, “what should we prioritise the most when we need to fulfil different needs?” Often, the evolvement of the types of architecture reveals the appropriate answer to this question to the time. With the advancement in technology and sophistication in construction methods, an array of new materials and techniques had been introduced to our way of living and working. This photograph exposes this nature through the obscure angle, the dynamism of its elements, and the repetative nature, revealing quantity and ambition to establish a megastructure that goes beyond our horizon.

Metadata Date: 20/10/2023

ISO: 500

Aperture: f/14

Shutter speed: 1/250sec.

Photographic Images

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Negative Space The negative space, “what is in the unglorified nooks of Melbourne?”, “what is under?” and “what is in the in between?” where we intersected and jumbled up various civic infrastructure that hold the city’s daily operation together. It offers a critical role, yet often forgotten. During my exploration, this discovery was rather unpredicted, and made me stop. I was intrigued by the abundance of vehicular elements fitted within this “negative” space. It almost creates its own ecosystem, as well as being its own assembly that displays our craftmanship and modification to our landscape.

Metadata Date: 13/10/2023

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/640 sec.

Photographic Images

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The Trace of The Zevenboom Brush Factory The trace of the zevenboom brush factory. It was announced to be the first brush manufacturer in the Southern hemisphere. the site was chosen by the coincidental destiny while exploring the overexposed and the hidden nooks of Melbourne. This photograph endorses a captivating nature, formed by the framing of the attentiveness and natural micro-expressions of the observers, the robust quality of the materials, and the urban ordinaries.

It exhibit the intersection between the past and present; illuminating a sense of revivalism, restoration, affinity towards our history.

Metadata Date: 9/9/2023

ISO: 6400

Aperture: f/11

Shutter speed: 1/200sec.

Photographic Images

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Birrarung, Now Freezes the moment in time when nature meets manmade. In another way, this photo is a melting pot of what has been inherited for thousands of years, the Birrarung, and the contemporary, the reflection of highrises along the edges of Yarra River.

I wanted to capture the unseen and neglected juncture in our city., the movement and the turbulance of water. It creates an abstract masterpiece from afar, but when we scrutinise into its detail and pattern, we disclose a story. It is what it is now, and we are living in the re-defined landscape. It is our urban landscape, the city of Melbourne, Naarm.

Metadata Date: 22/10/2023

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/80sec.

Photographic Images

Yarra Yarra

This series of phootgraphic images is called the “Yarra Yarra” that means the everflowing in the Wurundjeri language. This photographic artwork aims to capture the continuous evolvement of our urban setting as it is laid on a landscape that is blessed with rich history and culture. One concept that specifically appeals me and ties together this work is the concept of growth and the constant alteration of our metropolis, Naarm (Melbourne) throughout the time, anthropic advancement that mold the fabrics of our landscape.

As an architecture student, I am grateful to be exposed to the history of Melbourne, not only from the post European settlement, but also the thousands years of inheritances from the First Nation people. Therefore, the exploration is structured from this understanding and research about Naarm’s (Melbourne’s) history and culture: • Discovering the First Nation traces around Naarm (Melbourne) • The Victorian and Federation eras, marked by the relevant architypes • The modern era of Naarm (Melbourne), and the intersection between the past and the contemporary Based on this, the sites are chosen, but this does not limit me to be opened and flexible to the spontaneous opportunities that appeared during my venture in the city.

As I have learnt from this experience, this project has really strengthened my sensitivity to the often neglected or unrealised moments in our city.

I also hope that through this work, I would be able to extend the thread of knowledge and information about our home to our community.

I am interested in the case the intricate civic

Photographer’s Statement

settings that showassemblies, small to

reveal big, nature against manmade (fabricated), and the ordinaries as I have been taking attraction to this subject in the previous exercises.

Some artists and photographers that inspire me during the creation of this project are Peter Bialobrzeski, Peter Steinhauer, Edward Burtynsky, Andreas Gursky, Stephen Shore, Chen Jiagang, and Bing Yi. Some authorities and design decisions I made to present this series of photographic artworks were: • Embracing the unexpected • Capturing the ordinaries: How people occupy the space & to be in the space • Playing with angles • Zooming in to zoom out, to expose more • Experimenting with lights and shadows through the timing of the day and camera setting.