Book Launch – Heat With Paul Blackmore

The Fox Darkroom & Gallery is thrilled to host the Melbourne launch of photojournalist Paul Blackmore’s latest publication Heat.

Paul will provide a personal insight into his stunning book, followed by a reading of photographic scholar Alison Stieven-Taylor and the screening of a short film. We are also excited to display a selection of prints during the launch on Saturday 9 November, 4:30pm to 7pm. Prints and books will remain on display all weekend!

Heat exposes a culture laid bare under an ever-hotter sun. Against the backdrop of Australia’s seascapes, Paul Blackmore’s new book Heat explores the intimate relationship between water and humanity. Fundamental to his work is the powerful force of the ocean and the sculptural forms of the sea dreamers who play within it.

Heat examines the pursuit of individual freedom in crowded spaces—the quiet, vast privacy of being underwater in noisy, populated cosmopolitan areas. The salt water provides the ocean lovers and sunseekers a physical and psychological absolution. The sensual, redemptive act of immersing oneself into the enormity of the sea is like a secular baptism—a cleansing of the body and mind from the built world and its unnatural restrictions.

From the perspective of the water, Blackmore captures people entering the ocean, diving beneath it, and floating as storms approach. While the images seek beauty, they are vibrant and at times haunting reminders of our cultural and spiritual reliance on our beaches. The ocean connects us to ourselves, one another and our shared environment. Amidst the chaos of the modern world, Paul captures intimate moments. Humanity shines through in this exquisite work. The untamed ocean calls to a peace that lies deeply within us. It beckons us to share our secrets, remember our wildness and surrender to its reinvigorating power.