02 March 2011
RMIT student a World Photo finalist
RMIT University graduate Rory Gardiner will represent Oceania in the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition, after being named one of just 10 finalists worldwide.
The shortlisted entry, from the series “No Consequence”.
RMIT Graduate Rory Gardiner is a finalist in the 2011 Student Focus competition.
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The Bachelor of Arts (Photography) graduate will head to London for the World Photography Festival in April, where all shortlisted photographers will take part in lectures, talks and master classes led by industry leaders.
The 2011 Student Focus competition attracted entries from more than 200 institutions across six continents, with RMIT the only shortlisted institution from Oceania.
Mr Gardiner entered an image from a series of five, titled “No Consequence”.
He described his final-year work “as a reaction to the ever-growing shift from reality into a virtual domain; our blind yet willing step into an online world that threatens to absorb, depersonalise and publicise our private existence.
“I have adopted a detached and voyeuristic approach as a vehicle to explore a loosening grip on the humane elements of life,” Mr Gardiner said.
Program Director Mark Galer, who will accompany Mr Gardiner to the awards ceremony in London, said the global recognition was a fantastic reflection of his creative talents.
“Rory has an extremely strong body of personal work, as demonstrated with the image that resulted in him being shortlisted, and also very strong commercial skills,” Mr Galer said.
“This achievement is a powerful demonstration of the strengths of RMIT’s Bachelor of Arts (Photography) program, in equipping our students with the skills they need for the modern commercial world.”
The shortlist was selected by top names in the industry including Deborah Willis (Chair and Professor of Photography and Imaging at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University), Eder Chiodetto (Curator of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo) and Roger Tooth (Head of Photography of The Guardian, The Observer and guardian.co.uk).
The brief for the next stage of the competition is “Actions speak louder than words”, with the 10 shortlisted photographers asked to produce a series of images on the subject of actions and movement with Sony Alpha cameras.
The winner will be announced at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony on 27 April, receiving Sony digital imaging equipment to the value of 45,000 euros.
