Light, Nation, and Place in Australian Photography

Abstract

Light has long served as a key symbol of national identity and place in Australia. Myths of a distinct national light and the sun as a symbol of the nation helped white Australians to establish and naturalize a connection to the land. The convergence of national myths of light and photography, a medium of lightwriting, made for a striking partnership. This union formed a powerful mythology in Australian photography that is inseparable from the nation's Federation in 1901, but has evolved, been adapted and transformed in the hands of many Australian photographers ever since. After analyzing the special role of light as a myth of place in Australia, this article draws on the work of the contemporary Australian photographers Trent Parke and Ricky Maynard to offer a fresh perspective on the complexities of light and place in Australian photography. As they adopt alternative approaches to light and place, Maynard and Parke problematize assumptions about the transparency of light in photographic representation and reveal the overlapping temporal, cultural, and historical qualities of place today.