John Ogden (photographer)

John Ogden is a photographer, cinematographer and artist, whose wide ranging career has encompassed producing television commercials, international documentary making, music video production, and latterly fine art photography. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/a-completely-permitted-view-of-aboriginal-australia/2008/09/18/1221331045407.html A completely permitted view of Aboriginal Australia] ]

Nicknamed 'Oggy', Ogden is a fourth generation Australian of British descent, and has worked all over the world, his projects spanning diverse cultures and nations including Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, South America, the USA, and indigenous Australia. [http://www.artsconnect.com.au/johnogden/index.htm John Ogden's ArtsConnect page] ] Notable credits include work as Director of Photography on Bad Boy Bubby (1993) and Mission Impossible (1988–89), directing music videos for international artists, and his work with imagery assiociated with Australian Aborigines; 'Australienation', and 'Portraits From A Land Without People', whose release is planned for February 2009, timed to coincide with the anniversary of Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd's apology to the aboriginal people.

Now based in Avalon, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Ogden is a keen surfer, despite having lost an eye in a dramatic accident at his local break. Confronting the loss of his eye head on, he now sports an extensive collection of glass eyes, including an aboriginal flag, and gun sights.

Documentary making

Ogden credits his documentary experience with giving him a good sense of natural lighting, as well as the invaluable experience of witnessing how real people behave in a variety of situations.

Music video

Having acted as Director of Photography on over 50 music videos, Ogden has worked with many major artists including Prince, INXS, and Split Enz. In an interview with the ABC in 2007, he recounted the challenge of directing the video for Prince, having signed a contract which expressly prohibited conversation with the artist. Ogden credits working in this medium as teaching innovation.

Fine art photography

Since 2006, Ogden's work has focused on series' of fine art photography, including 'Japan Series', and extensive work with aboriginal Australian imagery.

Partly inspired by a conversation in which Ogden was upbraided whilst in England in his youth, [http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1936467.htm ABC] feature on John Ogden] criticising the near genocide of the aboriginal populations by the colonial immigrants, and subsequent culture clash, Ogden's 2008/9 work 'Portraits From A Land Without People' will be the first pictorial history of the aboriginal people of Australia compiled and produced honoring fully the aboriginal cultural code which requires permission to be granted by each individual in every picture. To compile the book, and gain the appropriate permissions, Ogden travelled extensively over a four year period, examining over 300,000 images, and visiting public libraries, galleries, museums and private collections in every state and territory in Australia. Ogden has described the dedication necessary to complete this task as a 'beautiful obsession'.

References

External links

* [http://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2008/national/aboriginal-pictorial-john-ogden/index.html A conversation with John Ogden] , discussing 'Portraits from a land without people'
* [http://www.artsconnect.com.au/johnogden/index.htm John Ogden's ArtsConnect page]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1936467.htm ABC] feature on John Ogden
* [http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200705/r147308_519252.mp3 The Audio] to accompany the above.
* [http://www.aboriginalportraits.com/ Portraits of a land without people] Website