As part of a 2011 showcase of already existing books — antecedents and inspirations — for the November Western Australian photographic books + Art/text/clearinghouse project show at the Perth Centre for Photography…
boom., published in 2009 was born from a series of discussions between 20 of WA’s emerging creative practitioners.
The resulting cross-platform exhibition, website and accompanying publication examined the issues, processes and ideas of post-boom Western Australia. It served to highlight the flourishing and multifaceted dialogue that exists on the fringes, offering alternative viewpoints from contributors who have responded to their changing hometown environment. Through discussion and collaboration, the contributors speak across mediums, audiences and formats, making use of skills and interests traversing the fields of visual arts, music, writing, photography, architectural design and fashion.
Featuring a diverse array of visual responses and fictional narrative, boom. and it’s authors mapped out their disparate reactions to Perth’s seemingly unending sea of cranes and construction. Video works that examined aestheticised nationalism and bogan pride communicated with striking architectural imaginings, while photographs of ever-developing suburbia and large scale exploratory drawings sat next to a series of documented performative urban interventions. Also on show was the results of a cross-continental dialogue between two fashion designer friends, caricatures and archetypes inspired by leisure time and celebrations, documented public performances from local band Cease and a collaborative project between a poet and a photographer.
boom. was launched and shown at Spectrum Project Space in June 2009.
Visit www.boom09.com.au for further details.