Puaki and Wetplate Photography
Discussing the reason why I used the wet plate collodion process for my work – Puaki.
Photographer Michael Bradley uses the near-obsolete wet-plate photographic technique as an original and striking way of showing the resurgence of the art form of tā moko, the traditional art of tattoo used by the indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
By using wet plate photography to document the rebirth of tā moko, Michael starkly depicts how colonisers can erase culture – and how, against all odds, it can come back.
The workshop will have an open discussion around the use of alternative photographic processes to create a body of work and how Michael approached shooting the project so important to Māori as an “outsider” being a pakeha or non-Māori.
About Michael Bradley:
Photographer Michael Bradley is based in New Zealand and works as a full-time photojournalist with nearly 30 years of experience shooting for local and international clients.
Michael’s photographic exhibition ‘Puaki’ starkly depicts how colonisers can erase a culture – and how, against all odds, it can come back.
One of the earliest photographic processes is ingeniously employed to capture the resurgence of the art form of tā moko (Māori facial tattoo). Māori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
This exhibition forms an important social documentary of the people who choose to wear tā moko today and the proud place of tā moko in modern society.
- Duration: 40 minutes
Date
- 21 - 25 Feb 2025
Time
- 16:30 - 17:10
Cost
- $5.00
Location
Speaker
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Michael BradleyPhotographer Michael Bradley from New Zealand specialises in photojournalism. He has over 25 years of experience in the industry and has worked on various long-term personal projects, including his latest exhibition, Puaki. Driven by a curiosity in analogue photography, Michael wanted to slow down the creative process of capturing images. He utilised the near-obsolete wet-plate photographic technique as an original and striking way of showing the resurgence of the art form of tā moko (Māori facial tattoo). Māori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
