Brad Rimmer's Wheatbelt Retrospective

0:00Photographer Brad Rimmer grew up in Western Australia's Wheatbelt with a pet crow that followed him everywhere, even sitting on his bike handlebars. Now his work, capturing rural life there, is the star of a huge retrospective, called Loom of the Land, at Waiulep Fremantle Arts Center for the Perth. Festival. The show packs three major series into the galleries, with special lighting to highlight the stark beauty and isolation of the region. One key series, silence from the early 2000s, spotlights teenagers facing tough choices, stay in fading small towns or chase city dreams. Rimmer started with his nephews, then drove around photographing kids amid empty landscapes. The art gallery of Western Australia snapped up 31 pieces, turning it into a vital record as team numbers dropped fast due to depopulation. Meanwhile, nowhere near zeroes in on deserted community halls across the Wheatbelt, from Geraldton to Esperance. These once bustling spots now stand empty or crumbling, evoking deep melancholy,

1:02though some still show signs of resilience like leftover party, decorations or yoga mats. For this exhibit, Curator's Commission 2 Fresh Video Pieces, where Rimmer teamed up for the first time with composer Mark Holtzworth and singer, Emily Barker. They set music to his hall footage, blending emotional soundscapes that echo the land's haunting pole. Rimmer calls it a privilege after 20 years of solo work, borrowing the title from a Nick Cave tune to nod how the Wheatbelt looms large over. Lives, joys, hardships, and all. Local news, powered by AI. This is Sydney News Today.