As an artist, photography and film have always been central to my practice, initially analogue, now predominantly digital. I have created and sold video art to corporate collections, gained a fellowship to travel through China to film the manufacturing process of fireworks and collaborated with a wide range of creative professionals including architects, poets and stained glass artists.
My work and curiosity as a film maker is driven by relationships and encounters. I have worked at different scales and time frames, for Travel Songs Of Sea & Land, 2013 I led a team of 19 artists working with over 100 young people across 5 months. In contrast Luminary was created single handedly over 4 years with an 86 year old stained glass artist
Below are 3 trailers/extracts of works created in the past few years.
Travel Songs Of Sea & Land was created with 100 young people from across South Sydney including newly arrived migrants and young people with disability.
The film brings together a series of cinematic songs or poems which explore the idea of travel, belonging, identity and displacement. Weaving together a diverse mix of cultures, Travel Songs features songs in Russian, Arabic, Sri Lankan, Samoan as well as English.
The finished film was screened at a number of venues across Sydney including Hazelhurst Gallery, Bankstown Arts Centre and MCA Sydney.
This two minute teaser trailer gives a brief insight into a nine day expedition across the famous Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.
The project was undertaken with Lomandra School as means of extending outdoor learning for their students. Lomandra School is in Campbelltown, Sydney and caters for students with behavioural and emotional challenges, its the biggest school of it’s kind in NSW.
Filmed under challenging conditions using a DSLR and Go Pro at the start of the rainy season, October/November 2015. Amazing that my cameras made it through the heat, humidity and tropical downpours.
Luminary was created over four years with stained glass artist Kevin Little. Little is regarded as one of Australia’s leading restorers of ecclesiastical stained glass and worked by the traditional methods; painting and baking his own glass and smelting lead.
In 2012 Kevin began the long process of winding his business down which had been founded by his Grandfather in 1905. Arncliffe Studios was an extraordinary property filled with a vast collection of glass, antiques and other oddities. The full length film, a 30 minute documentary also features additional extras looking at the tools of the trade and an extensive slide show of the factory.
Available to purchase contact for details.
Howard Matthew 