Hospitals as a Place

For the Hospitals as a Place  – a St John of God Healthcare art commission project, I have sought to inspire curiosity in the viewer, and to prompt a sense of wonder at the ways in which urban areas and regional environments can be magically transformed by the interplay of light, colour and movement.

Hospital buildings tend to be purpose-built structures that prioritise function over aesthetic design, so I sought to reveal the essential industrial architecture in a new way, giving it central meaning in my photographs. At sites where design and location can be overwhelming, a captured detail becomes an abstract geometric interpretation of a place, a hidden aspect of a building’s character.

At many of the sites, the constant flow of cars was a challenge. In Geelong, I was inspired to incorporate the buzzing energy of this traffic into the images, made all the more luminous by the falling rain.

In the Warrnambool and Frankston photographs, essential materials such as steel and glass provided a beautiful base for capturing evening light reflections.

I have also considered the history of the sites, particularly in Bendigo and Ballarat, where the rich and vibrant history of the Goldfields is evoked by warm and glowing tones of gold.

In more sedate locations such as Warrnambool and Berwick’s Langmore sites, I had time to focus on surroundings and consider the purpose-built nature of these sites. These images seek to bring a sense of calm through the observance of the interconnecting elements of light, space and flora.