Peter Corbett

I hope that the images convey some sense of the ancient influences of the indigenous peoples that once lived there, and of the sense of discovery and danger that early Western settlers would have experienced – and from that how we can learn to appreciate and protect one of the most unique natural places on our planet.

Peter Corbett

Shot with a constantly moving camera to draw the viewer along the trail and into the landscape, Peter Corbett’s video illustrates the many moods of the Great South West Walk. From the beautiful, mysterious forests of the Cobboboonee through to the river then on to the ocean, the work offers an experiential view of the environment. The notion of journey and archive is integral to this work. Corbett combines the textural and temporal qualities of film with a sensitive, diaristic approach to representation in his portrayal of the evolving landscape of the Walk.

Interview with Peter Corbett

Why did you choose to be involved in the Great South West Walk Art Project?

Carmel Wallace approached me and asked if I would come along as one of the artists. I’d never been called an artist before! My wife Karen thought it would be a great opportunity to experience another way of filmmaking and she wasn’t wrong.

Did you have any preconceived ideas or plans for your work before embarking on the Walk?

No, you could say I had a visual form of writer’s block both before and during the Walk. I wasn’t sure if people would expect a bizarre avant garde interpretation of the Walk with images flying around and surreal effects. And at the other end of the spectrum I knew I didn’t want to make just a pretty postcard video.

How would you describe your artistic practice from concept to making?

I look at things visually first. I try to see the unusual in the usual. On a more commercial project, I would do extensive pre-production and planning, but with the Walk I just let events unfold. I didn’t have any caveats on what I was going to experience and shoot.

What is it about the Great South West Walk that inspired you?

I lead a pretty fast-paced working life with a lot of travel and doing the Walk just forced me to slow down. We had a set distance to cover each day and it gave me the chance to look at the small things on the journey. There is so much to inspire anyone who does the Walk. The quiet wind blowing through the Cobboboonee trees, the sounds of birds that one never hears in a city or town, the stillness of the early mornings on the river and of course the endless wild beach of Discovery Beach.

What did you hope to capture in your work?

I just wanted to show the essence of the Walk; the soul if you will. I wasn’t concerned with showing all the features and attractions of the Walk. In fact on one day I didn’t do any filming at all. I wanted to convey a sense of visual ‘hyper-reality’ with a lot of defocused and high contrast images. They could be described as surreal in some way. What equipment did you use?

The video was produced in true 1080 high definition. I wanted to ensure that the imagery just jumped out of the screen at the viewer and I must say I’ve been really happy with the result. The camera I used was actually a very small single-chip HD camcorder. The distances involved meant I couldn’t take my broadcast camera on the journey. But then I would not have got some of the shots with a large camera. The video plays off a HD DVD player in the gallery.

What were the major challenges you faced on the Walk?

For me there were the physical challenges, although I must say to the chagrin of Carmel [Wallace] that I didn’t get a single blister with my brand new walking shoes! Time was always an issue. We had to keep moving to stay on schedule. There are a couple of shots of a lizard in the video that took nearly 2 hours to film. I’d never dream of taking that long on a commercial project, but here I could. Plus I had battery and technical issues with the camera equipment I was carrying. What do you hope the viewer will take away from your work and the exhibition?

I hope the viewer will take away a sense of what the Walk is. The images are presented in a linear fashion as a journey, in much the same way as walkers do the complete Walk. None of the locations are identified and I like leaving a bit of a mystery where people may say, ‘I wonder where that place is?’. That’s for them to go out and discover for themselves!

2007I hope that the images convey some sense of the ancient influences of the indigenous peoples that once lived there, and of the sense of discovery and danger that early Western settlers would have experienced – and from that how we can learn to appreciate and protect one of the most unique natural places on our planet.

Peter Corbett

Shot with a constantly moving camera to draw the viewer along the trail and into the landscape, Peter Corbett’s video illustrates the many moods of the Great South West Walk. From the beautiful, mysterious forests of the Cobboboonee through to the river then on to the ocean, the work offers an experiential view of the environment. The notion of journey and archive is integral to this work. Corbett combines the textural and temporal qualities of film with a sensitive, diaristic approach to representation in his portrayal of the evolving landscape of the Walk.

Interview with Peter Corbett

Why did you choose to be involved in the Great South West Walk Art Project?

Carmel Wallace approached me and asked if I would come along as one of the artists. I’d never been called an artist before! My wife Karen thought it would be a great opportunity to experience another way of filmmaking and she wasn’t wrong.

Did you have any preconceived ideas or plans for your work before embarking on the Walk?

No, you could say I had a visual form of writer’s block both before and during the Walk. I wasn’t sure if people would expect a bizarre avant garde interpretation of the Walk with images flying around and surreal effects. And at the other end of the spectrum I knew I didn’t want to make just a pretty postcard video.

How would you describe your artistic practice from concept to making?

I look at things visually first. I try to see the unusual in the usual. On a more commercial project, I would do extensive pre-production and planning, but with the Walk I just let events unfold. I didn’t have any caveats on what I was going to experience and shoot.

What is it about the Great South West Walk that inspired you?

I lead a pretty fast-paced working life with a lot of travel and doing the Walk just forced me to slow down. We had a set distance to cover each day and it gave me the chance to look at the small things on the journey. There is so much to inspire anyone who does the Walk. The quiet wind blowing through the Cobboboonee trees, the sounds of birds that one never hears in a city or town, the stillness of the early mornings on the river and of course the endless wild beach of Discovery Beach.

What did you hope to capture in your work?

I just wanted to show the essence of the Walk; the soul if you will. I wasn’t concerned with showing all the features and attractions of the Walk. In fact on one day I didn’t do any filming at all. I wanted to convey a sense of visual ‘hyper-reality’ with a lot of defocused and high contrast images. They could be described as surreal in some way. What equipment did you use?

The video was produced in true 1080 high definition. I wanted to ensure that the imagery just jumped out of the screen at the viewer and I must say I’ve been really happy with the result. The camera I used was actually a very small single-chip HD camcorder. The distances involved meant I couldn’t take my broadcast camera on the journey. But then I would not have got some of the shots with a large camera. The video plays off a HD DVD player in the gallery.

What were the major challenges you faced on the Walk?

For me there were the physical challenges, although I must say to the chagrin of Carmel [Wallace] that I didn’t get a single blister with my brand new walking shoes! Time was always an issue. We had to keep moving to stay on schedule. There are a couple of shots of a lizard in the video that took nearly 2 hours to film. I’d never dream of taking that long on a commercial project, but here I could. Plus I had battery and technical issues with the camera equipment I was carrying. What do you hope the viewer will take away from your work and the exhibition?

I hope the viewer will take away a sense of what the Walk is. The images are presented in a linear fashion as a journey, in much the same way as walkers do the complete Walk. None of the locations are identified and I like leaving a bit of a mystery where people may say, ‘I wonder where that place is?’. That’s for them to go out and discover for themselves!

2007