item details
NameNauru (reef)
ProductionWayne Barrar; photographer; 1991; Nauru
Classificationblack-and-white prints, gelatin silver prints, works of art
Materialssilver, photographic paper, photographic gelatin
Materials Summaryblack and white photograph, gelatin silver print
Techniquesblack-and-white photography, photography
DimensionsImage: 152mm (height), 227mm (length)
Registration NumberO.013056
Credit linePurchased 1998
Overview
Nauru portfolio
When Wayne Barrar photographed Nauru, he steered clear of blue skies, white sand, green palm trees, and other symbols of a tropical paradise. His aim was to capture the environmental effects of phosphate mining.
Barrar printed his colour slides to paper negatives and used those to make the final prints. This crude conversion to black and white lost tonal quality, and the paper fibres of the negative broke up the image – a perfect match for the devastation portrayed.