Photogruzzi
“The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words” Elliott Erwitt. Photogruzzi celebrates the work of David Graham (Gruzzi), an artist who knew how to capture a thousand stories in his photographs. From his street photography to his Cosplay images, through to his intimate portraits of nature, Gruzzi’s interaction with his subjects and his ability to capture the moment are celebrated in this retrospective. When Gruzzi first started to learn photography, he was told to try and see the world in black and white. In this exhibition, we see that this monochromatic palette has been the strength of his practice. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes bare-faced, these photographs tell a story of both the subject and the artist, with just a dash of humour and colour thrown in. During most of his arts career, Gruzzi was based in Bundaberg, and participated in group exhibitions such as 23 Degrees North & South; You, Me and a Cup of Tea; Humans of Bundaberg; Here & Now and the solo exhibition Seeing in Black and White. In 2019, his solo exhibition Viable Vogue and Feasible Fashion did not eventuate, but some of these unseen photographs are included in this exhibition. Gruzzi was an active member of the Bundaberg Arts Community and also a valued volunteer at the gallery assisting with many exhibition installation and demounts. The Photogruzzi exhibition was made possible through the support and cooperation of Gruzzi’s family – Wendy, Pia and Ted. “Everything in nature intrigues me. It happens nearly every time I go to mow the lawn, I discover something beautiful and then want to make images” David Graham