Artist's Portfolio
BORN
1960 Sydney NSW, Australia
PRIZES & AWARDS
1st prize for works on paper - Trades and Labour Council Sabemo Contest, December 9th 1985, Perth WA
Highly Commended Award - Trinity Art Festival 13th May 1995, Lismore NSW
Highly Commended Award - Bentley Art Prize April 1997, Bentley NSW
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Praxis Gallery / 4th - 25th August 1985, Fremantle WA
Lismore Regional Gallery / 3rd - 28th February 1999, Lismore NSW
Upstairs Gallery / 12th - 22nd May 1999, Lismore NSW
Tweed Regional Gallery / 13th October - 7th Noember 1999, Murwillumbah NSW
Wayward Gallery / 1st - 13th March 2000, Byron Bay NSW
Bruce Watling Gallery / 6th - 20th April 2001, Southport QLD
The Byronian Cafe / 12th May - 6th June 2001, Byron Bay NSW
The Roxy Gallery / 12th March - 7th April 2004, Kyogle NSW
Waywood Gallery / 5th November - 28th November 2004, Byron Bay NSW
Lismore Regional Gallery / 16th December 2004 - 5th February 2005 Lismore, NSW
Independent Exhibition / 2nd – 4th May 2008 64 Magellan St. Lismore, NSW
SHOWINGS & EXHIBITS
The New Camera House, Lismore NSW
The Art and Soul Gallery, The Channon NSW
The Barebones Art Space, Bangalow NSW
The Roxy Gallery, Kyogle NSW
The Waywood Gallery - "Through My Window' 9th July 2004, Byron Bay NSW
Fire in the Belly Restaurant, Lismore NSW
Sandbar & Restaurant, Shaws Bay, East Ballina NSW
The New Tattersalls Hotel, 108 Keen Street, Lismore NSW
PUBLISHED WORKS / PRODUCTS
Unio Mystica: Anima Card Set / Southern Cross University Printery
Anima Calendar 2008 / Southern Cross University Printery
Anima Calendar 2009 / Southern Cross University Printery
PUBLISHED ARTICLES & LETTERS
Visiting Arts Magazine No. 43 Summer edition, London UK
Women in Control / Northern Rivers Echo 4th February 1999
15 Years of Anima Work / Northern Star Newspaper 13th March 1999
Black and White But Not Simple / Northern Star Newspaper 8th May 1999
Life as Art / Our Town Magazine May 1999
Anima Returns / Northern Rivers Echo 2nd March 2000
Vision Splendid / Northern Star Newspaper 18th March 2000
A Study of the Soul / Gold Coast Weekender 14th April 2001
Bias Claim / Northern Star Newspaper 28th September 2002
Global Terrorism / Northern Star Newspaper 12th October 2002
Peace View / Northern Rivers Echo 27th March 2003
An Artist's Woes / Northern Star Newspaper 10th March 2004
A Poole of Wisdom / The Northern Rivers Echo Vol. 10 No. 10 March 11th 2004
Artists Speak Up / Northern Rivers Echo 8th April 2004
Culture Shock / Northern Rivers Echo 3rd June 2004
Heart in the Art / Northern Rivers Echo 20th May 2004
Out of This World / Northern Rivers Echo Vol. 10 No. 49 9th December 2004
Wish List / Northern Rivers Echo 9th September 2004
Blonde Bombshell / Northern Rivers Echo 10th September 2005
Let’s Not Forget the Truth / Northern Rivers Echo 27th April 2006
Chronology Debate / Archaeological Diggings Volume 13 No. 6 Dec 2006 / Jan 2007
The Tragic Consequences of Population Growth / Northern Rivers Echo February 1st 2007
Exploiting Our Region / Northern Rivers Echo April 19th 2007 Vol. 13 No.16
Sustainable Progress / Northern Rivers Echo June 7th 2007 Vol. 13 No. 23
Feminine Insight Important / Archaeological Diggings Volume 14 No. 4 Aug / Sept 2007
The Puzzling Practice of Judging Art / Northern Rivers Echo August 30th 2007 Vol. 133 No. 35
A non-competitive approach to art / Northern Rivers Echo December 13th 2007 Vol. 13 No. 50
Nimbin raids don't go far enough / The Northern Rivers Echo April 10th 2008 Vol.14 No. 15
Finding a window to his feminine side / The Weekend Star April 12-13th 2008
Poole of Talent / The Northern Rivers Echo April 24th 2008 Vol.14 No. 17
Starve Artists / The Northern Rivers Echo May 29th 2008 Vol. 14 No. 22
Creative Difference / The Northern Rivers Echo June 12th Vol. 14 No. 24
Bigger Picture / The Northern Rivers Echo July 3rd, 2008 Vol. 14 No. 27
Art Scene Boxed In / The Northern Star July 28th, 2008
Art House Calendar / The Scene, The Northern Rivers Echo January 8th 2009 Vol. 15 No. 1
History Does a Another Lap / The Northern Rivers Echo January 29th, 2009 Vol.15 No. 04
Speedway: Look What Happened to the Romans / The Northern Star January 29th, 2009
Racing provides wrong gear for future / The Northern Rivers Echo February 12th, 2009 Vol. 15 No. 06
Shift Needed / The Northern Rivers Echo February 26th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 08
Lest We Forget / The Northern Rivers Echo March 5th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 09
Share and Learn / The Northern Rivers Echo April 9th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 14
Changing Tradition / The Northern Rivers Echo, April 16th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 15
Tradition for All / The Northern Rivers Echo April 23rd 2009 Vol. 15 No. 16
Wrong Way / The Northern Rivers Echo June 11th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 23
Action must mirror words / The Northern Rivers Echo July 9th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 27
Trickle-down Trick / The Northern Rivers Echo July 30th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 30
Imagine This / The Northern Rivers Echo August 27th 2009, Vol. 15 No. 34
Art Market / The Northern Rivers Echo April 1st 2010, Vol.16 No. 13
Another Vision / The Northern Rivers Echo April 29th 2010, Vol. 16 No. 17
A question of space / The Northern Rivers Echo May 6th 2010, Vol. 16 No. 18
A louder voice / The Northern Rivers Echo May 27th 2010, Vol.16 No. 21
Play the game / The Northern Rivers Echo June 17th 2010, Vol.16 No. 23
Consider artists, not just art gallery / The Northern Star Thursday June 24th 2010
Age appropriate / The Northern Rivers Echo August 12th 2010, Vol. 16 No. 32
FEATURE ARTICLES
The Weekend Star, April 12th 2008
'Finding a window to his feminine side'
The Northern Rivers Echo, August 13th 2009 Vol. 15 No. 32 - Page 31
'A first for Lismore: mobile photo and computer training'
The Northern Rivers Echo, October 29th 2009 Vol.16 No. 43
'Don't be afraid to express yourself'
The Northern Rivers Echo, January 28th 2010 Vol.16 No. 4
'Learn the art of photography'
http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Lismore-Australia/R-J-Poole/142557005761520?ref=ts&__a=11&
http://www.echonews.com/1010/art_news.html
http://www.echonews.com/1049/art_news.html
http://www.galah.com.au/lismore/local-profile-r-j-poole-2.html
http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/work/33646/praxis-
poster-workshop-rj-poole-praxis-gallery.aspx?impression=118259
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Esoteric_and_Occult/Arts/
http://www.zyra.org.uk/photoo.htm
http://lifetime-photography.com.au/linkcrea.htm
http://www.echonews.com/1010/art_news.html
http://www.echonews.com/1049/art_news.html
UNPUBLISHED WORKS
Dream of the China Horse (Children's book)
The Shadows of the Sun and Moon
PUBLIC TEACHING
Triangular Key Group, Security and Self Defence Training Belmont Perth WA 1987 – 88
ACE Adult Education, Photoshop & Advanced Photoshop Lismore NSW 2002 –
The New Camera House, Digital SLR Course, Lismore NSW 2008 - 2009
The New Camera House, Photo Exchange, Winsome Hotel North Lismore 2009
The Conference Room, Mary Gilhooley's Hotel Lismore 2009 -
Ballina Presbyterian Hall, Ballina 2009 -
The Lismore Camera Club - Lismore Workers Club 2010 -
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Lismore Rotary Club, Lismore Workers Club - Monday 10th March 2008
FCC Northern Zone Convention, Lismore Workers Club – Saturday 3rd May 2008
ARTIST'S COMMENTS
I compose my images 'in camera' and try always to remain faithful to the real-life nature of my subject. Many props and costumes are employed to this end so that I can avoid manipulating the image during post production in Photoshop. I use very little equipment or lighting in my work, but try to keep things as simple and real as possible.
Much of the substance of my work comes from the collaborative relationships I share with the people in front of my camera. Working closely with someone over a period of years provides me an opportunity to express myself through them in ways that are difficult to describe. I believe the depth and substance of my work is proportional to the depth and substance of my relationship with the model.
This collaborative approach has also helped me to avoid the traditional male artist / female model scenario, in which the woman is little more than a prop with no direct input to the creative process. Many of the subjects, ideas and titles that have inspired my images have been provided by the women who posed for the photograph. Without the love and support I have received from these women, I could not have achieved the same results.
The Anima Series is an expression of my own anima. This is a little understood subject and much confusion surrounds the feminine aspect of the male psyche. Many males in particular display cynicism or a sense of threat towards this topic. Giving my anima a female face helps me to express parts of myself that would otherwise remain hidden or would make little sense.
Much confusion and misinformation also accompanies my other inspiration - the mystic, esoteric traditions of my European ancestors. This is a parallel topic that was also discussed by Carl Jung along with the anima part of the psyche. The religious ideas and practices of pre-Christian Europe are part of the cultural legacy of my ancestors.
This legacy has many forms and is a tangible part of my identity as someone of European descent. Many of the symbols contained in my images, as well as the titles they are given reflect this cultural identity.
