Denis Smith (1971– ) was born in Auckland before moving to Australia in 2009. He creates work that sits beautifully on the cusp of photography and performance by painting with light. He captures the motion of a light sculpture he is controlling over a long exposure. His transformative story – about how he changed his life for the better – resulted in a short film written and directed by Sam Collins. It went viral and generated more than 250 000 views to date. The film won Best Documentary at the South Australian Screen Awards in 2012. It explores how photography and art has transformed his life, as he says ‘Getting away from the city and spending time in nature creating beautiful images is my release. In recent times teaching the art of light painting photography to as many people as possible has become my passion.’

Denis Smith

MGA has launched a new exhibition space, the Atrium Gallery, to provide emerging artists with an opportunity to showcase their practice to MGA’s audiences. The Atrium Gallery is situated between MGA and the Wheelers Hill Library and is open Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 8.30pm, Saturdays from 9.00am to 5.00pm and Sundays from 12 noon to 5.00pm.