Mounsey is a member of Oculi collective, a group of award-winning photographers who will be presenting its major exhibition, ACTS I-VII, at Benalla Art Gallery from April 29 to July 17.
That exhibition will explore our shared humanity.
ACTS I-VII will also be presented as an official exhibition of the PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography.
Ms Mounsey’s pop-up portrait studio and dark room opened in Benalla Art Gallery’s downstairs studio on Monday (March 14) and will finish on Friday, March 18.
Members of the community are invited to drop-in on Friday to meet the artist, learn about the photographic process, and potentially have their portrait taken and story recorded for the project, on a first in, best dressed basis.
A selection of portraits and stories recorded during the week will be produced as large-scale, temporary public artworks, which will be displayed in the Benalla Botanical Gardens during Oculi’s upcoming exhibition, and as part of the PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography.
Ms Mounsey said her photographs would be produced using the wet-plate collodion process.
“(This) provides us with a means to slow down time and allows space for the people concerned to become known to each other and feel connected,” Ms Mounsey said.
“We can create an environment for dialogue and creative relationship with the sitter, and in this way it is not unlike the occasion of two strangers meeting to share personal space and conversation.”
Benalla Art Gallery director Eric Nash said he was excited to welcome Ms Mounsey.
“This is the first part of a really exciting and multi-layered project by Oculi collective, and (it’s) wonderful to know the Benalla community will be so embedded in the outcome through these community portraits and stories,” Mr Nash said.
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