Virginia Woods-Jack » News

Letting the light in

virginiawj — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:12:59 +0000

I have been really immersing myself in my yoga and meditation of late and was reading about building a shrine at home to the things you love, that are of real value to your life and improve our very existence. One of the guys in the article was talking about how he has lights in his shrine as light is symbolic of an offering of energy and love. When you shine light on something you are shedding love on it.

I have been thinking about this in relation to my photography and how the qualities of light are so instrumental in how I see the world and what draws me to make images. Light is part and parcel of what i do, photography is all about shedding light onto the film plain. The quality of the light here in NZ, coupled with how beautiful it is here never ceases to amaze and inspire me and is definitely a good part of why I so readily now call Aotearoa home. Just look at how beautiful it is right outside my front door!

In No Hurry

virginiawj — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:55:54 +0000

The technical nature of photography, the instant nature of photography can lure you into a false sense of immediacy around this amazing art form. It is something that should be given time and due care and attention, great art is imbued with those qualities and Saul Leiter embodies all of this. I can’t wait to see this documentary about him and his work and I am reminded even from the trailer that in my own practice I am somewhat consumed with the desire that my viewers should and need to slow down and take time with my work…and as a result of this it means that I need to be mindful of the fact that my art and my career takes time, thank you Saul.

Click Saul Leiter Documentary to watch

Summer Light

virginiawj — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:40:36 +0000

These photos have been taken over the most amazing summer, have been enjoying playing with limiting detail by playing with extremes of light and darkness.

Piha on the west coast of Auckland. Summer 2012/13

virginiawj — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:33:19 +0000

Meredith’s and Soul for Report on Business Canada.

virginiawj — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:22:05 +0000

Abigail Boyle for Metro Magazine

virginiawj — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:31:12 +0000

Had the pleasure of being commissioned to make a portrait of Abigail Boyle from The Royal NZ Ballet for Metro Magazine. Check out the spread in the current Aug/Sep issue.

A few tips from a more experienced artist or two

virginiawj — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 06:08:07 +0000

This recent article by Hilary Harkness for The Huffington Post reminds me of the great book letters to a young artist. It is an insightful collection of letters written in response to a fictional young artist about how to navigate your way through your career by a fantastic array of contemporary artists from all disciplines. Got to stay true to your vision and find a way to make it work.

Enjoy the read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-harkness/artist-success-tips_b_1773599.html

The show is over but you can listen in here!

virginiawj — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:07:03 +0000

Thanks to everyone who made it down to the show, it has been a great experience. I know there are many of you in far flung places who didn’t make it down so please do check out Take Away One in its entirety on my website and if you want to hear the interview I did with the lovely hannah Clarke on Radio Active’s Caffine and Asprin show listen here. Thanks

Virginia on RadioActive89FM

Install shots

virginiawj — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:28:19 +0000

Exhibition brochure from This Must Be the Place – three photographers

virginiawj — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:06:45 +0000

For all of you followers who are further afield than Wellington and who cant make it to the City Gallery; they have very kindly agreed to let me share the brochure as a pdf with you written by the lovely Lily hacking who curated the show. Click HERE to download.

Take Away One….

virginiawj — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:01:31 +0000

I am really proud to have been included in the latest show currently on at The Hirschfeld Gallery within The City Gallery here in Wellington. The show is called this must be the place – three photographers and it brings together my work along with that of Katie Breckon and Mizuho Nishioka.

Lily Hacking the curator writes

“Katie Breckon’s ongoing series Set this House in Order sees her meticulously document specific objects from her family home, creating an innately personal photographic archive. Her life-sized images trace the skin of these objects – mapping the marks and scratches upon their surfaces – hinting at intimate histories.

Mizuho Nishioka’s practice considers the photograph as a complex system of transactions – the image as a visual manifestation of information – and prompts us to question what happens to the image, and our understanding of it, when we remove or alter particular aspects of that information.

Virginia Woods-Jack presents photographs which document personal moments, images that evoke our often fleeting experiences of places and people. Woods-Jack addresses the medium of photography; printed onto transparent silk, her photographs emphasising the temporality and fragility of the image.”

If you are in Wellington anytime from now until the 5th August 2012 please visit the gallery as there are some amazing shows and if you have anything you want to say in response to my work please do..always keen to hear what people think.

I will post the entire works on my site this coming week so do check back. For gallery times and further info please do check out the link below.

http://citygallery.org.nz/exhibition/this-must-be-the-place

the pleasure of reading ‘The Pleasure of Good Photographs’ by Gerry Badger

virginiawj — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:25:54 +0000

I have spent a lovely morning lying in bed reading the opening essay in Gerry Badgers collection of essays “The Pleasure of Good Photographs’. For any fellow lovers of the medium this book would seem to be a must, the opening essay has definitely caught my imagination and challenged me and inspired me to read it from cover to cover as soon as I can! There is also a online reading group enjoying the pleasures of discussing these essays started by Tom Griggs over at Fototazo in conjunction with Andy Adams on the Flak Photo Books, check out this link if you want to get involved

http://www.fototazo.com/2012/05/flak-photo-discussion-begins-today.html

Hypnotically stunning work from Reuben Margolin

virginiawj — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:49:35 +0000

This Ted talk had me transfixed. I had never heard of or seen any work by Reuben Margolin before and am so glad that today I discovered him. If you have 9 minutes to spare you have to check out his TED Talk, always great to hear an artist talk about their own work. The wave motion and beauty of his work….well look for yourselves and I hope it adds to your day as it has mine.

http://www.ted.com/talks/reuben_margolin_sculpting_waves_in_wood_and_time.html

New Website and MOPLA in one week!

virginiawj — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:40:19 +0000

Much excitement this week with my new website going live over the next few days and my new work Focal Interference showing at MOPLA on the 24th April…as part of the Pro’jekt LA Take Me There show. Here are the details and if you are in LA and can make it have a great evening, should be amazing!

Take Me There – 24th April in LA

virginiawj — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:05:00 +0000

feel free to share this with all your contacts…if you are in LA and free next tuesday my images would love to see you