SCENES FROM THE MALL: Exploring the balance between recording history and storytelling in everyday life

All portraits are made to be seen in the future. Pictures such as those in this collection may bemost obviously seen as a historical snapshot of people and places but, given thecommonplace nature of the subjects, some of this interpretation depends on the viewer’sfamiliarity with the people, place and time that are depicted. The less the viewer knows aboutthese details, the more the images stand on their own and, in some measure, the more thepictures become a story prompt for the viewer. These stories may focus on the human oremotional elements or on incidental artefacts in the photographs. People may also see ahistorical perspective or even nostalgia. The stories might also integrate the relationshipbetween the subject and the photographer, noting that both parties have an influence on theprocess. There could be a 3 or 4 dimensional diagram to map out the possibilities but I don’thave one. We’ll use the pictures from the recent SCENES FROM THE MALL exhibition as abasis for discussion, at least primarily, keeping in mind that members of the audience willbring their own understanding of Belconnen, of the mall, of Canberra locals and of 1989-90.

Speaker:
Spiros Coutroubas

Spiros has been practising photography since the 1980s both in Australia and abroad. Hiswork focusses on portraiture and social documentary photography. He has concentrated ondocumenting people in their everyday environments but also in places such as festivals andshows, sporting events, shopping malls and occasions like ANZAC day commemorations. Hisimages are intended to document the present for the future. Spiros is a graduate of theSchool of Art and Design in Canberra. His recent exhibitions include WORKING PEEL STREET:Images and Sound from the 1992 Tamworth Country Music Festival (Tamworth, 2022) and SCENES FROM THE MALL: Portraits of people and places in the Belconnen Mall 1989-90
(Canberra, 2023).
Learn more about Spiros' work on his website (fotofacto.com) or Instagram(@spiros.coutroubas).