Learning Objectives
- Analyse and interpret themes, concepts and ideas in Gilbertson’s work and discuss how these are expressed.
- Discuss how Gilbertson has used materials and techniques to realise the intentions in his artworks.
- Apply the art elements and principles to the analysis and interpretation of Gilbertson’s work.
- Identify and connect specific features of Gilbertson’s works to a wider historical, cultural and social context.
Introduction to Ashley Gilbertson and Requiem to New York: Photographs by Ashley Gilbertson
One of the leading photojournalists of his generation, Gilbertson has been recognised for his photographs in conflict zones, empathetic pictures of the global refugee crisis and his humanist approach to photography as a documentary medium. Born in Melbourne, Gilbertson has been based in New York City for more than twenty years, but the trajectory of his career has often taken him away from the city. A consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the shutting down of much of New York City and the suspension of national and international travel. For Gilbertson, this enforced shift in focus had a profound impact on his life and work. Already a regular runner, his practice during 2020 involved daily distance running and, using the camera in his phone, photographing the events unfolding around him as he ran through the streets of the city. Gilbertson has referred to this body of work as a portrait of New York. Many of the photographs were posted on Instagram over the course of the year, accompanied by captions written by the artist. These visually powerful images, when seen together with the artists’ writing, have a diary like quality, telling the story of an individual, a city, and a country.
Looking back over the photographs that he made of New York in 2020 Ashley Gilbertson wrote, ‘The resulting photo essay is my requiem to the New York that we knew before the pandemic, but also a love letter to the resilient people who never gave up.’
Introduction to Ashley Gilbertson Videos
In the following five short videos Gilbertson discusses his career protectory, New York City and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, along with his sources of inspiration, materials, techniques, and processes. He also discusses how he represents ideas and communicates meaning in his work and how he, along with NGV Curator Susan Van Wyck selected the photographs for the exhibition Requiem to New York: Photographs by Ashley Gilbertson. He also shares with us his favourite camera, with some helpful tips along the way.
Questions for discussion
- Discuss the main themes and ideas in Gilbertson’s work. What ideas does Gilbertson want to communicate in his work?
- Identify and discuss Gilbertson’s use of materials and techniques. How has he used materials and techniques to represent his ideas and achieve a particular style in his artworks?
- How has Gilbertson refined and resolved his artworks? Consider his editing process and the way that artworks were selected and presented for exhibition.
- Gilbertson has a strong critical eye. As he tells us in Materials, Techniques and Processes ‘I’m not just shooting a picture of soldiers in the street giving out food I’m composing’. What evidence of compositional framing can you find in the images below. Identify focal points and discuss. How has Gilbertson kept our eye within the frame?
- Refer to the selection of images below. Choose one. Discuss Gilbertson’s use of the art elements (line, tone, shape, form and light etc.) and principles (balance, contrast, emphasis/focal point, repetition, rhythm, space etc.). How has this contributed to the distinctive aesthetic qualities in his artworks?
- Review the videos. What role does Gilbertson hope the artworks might play in society? What role do you think they might play in society?
- What have you learnt from Gilbertson’s art practices and processes that are relevant to your own work?