Robert Ashton's photographs of Fitzroy are characteristic of the highly personalised and soulful approach to documentary photography prevalent among photographers during the 1970s. This series was originally published as a photobook Into the hollow mountains: a portrait of Fitzroy (1974), which included essays and poems by a range of contemporary writers. Two of Ashton’s mentors, Rennie Ellis and Wesley Stacey produced a photobook on Kings Cross in 1971, and photographic projects capturing portraits of Australian suburbs and towns were popular during this period. Ashton launched Into the hollow mountains at Brummels Gallery in December 1974 with an exhibition of selected prints from the book. Ashton's pictures were presented alongside an exhibition of photographs by Carol Jerrems, who was launching her own photobook A book about Australian women (1974).
(2014)
Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
