Robin Boyd in his office, Aug 1970
1970
Mark Strizic had no formal training in photography, but began taking photographs of Melbourne in the 1950s. He abandoned his studies in physics to become a full-time photographer in 1957. Among Strizic’s most widely recognised images are those he created of the city of Melbourne between 1955 and 1970. He is, however, also known for his architectural, industrial, interior design and portrait photography. This portrait depicts the architect Robin Boyd, whom Strizic first met in 1958. Boyd was a firm supporter of Strizic’s work and frequently commissioned him to photograph his architectural designs for publications or posterity. Highlighting Strizic’s striking, formalist approach to portraiture, this photograph was likely taken for the publication of Boyd’s book Living in Australia (first published in 1970) for which Strizic was responsible for imagery and design.
2023
Gelatin silver prints are black-and-white photographic prints that have been created using papers coated with an emulsion of gelatin and light-sensitive silver salts. After the papers are briefly exposed to light (usually through a negative), a chemical developer renders the latent image as reduced silver, which is then fixed and washed. This technique was first introduced in the 1870s and is still used today. Most twentieth-century black-and-white photographs are gelatin silver prints. They are known for being highly detailed and sharply defined prints with a distinguishable smooth, even image surface.
