Interview with Mark Adams

Interview with Mark Adams, born in Linwood in 1949. Talks about his family background and both his father and grandfather being photographers. Reminisces on growing up in the beach suburb of Brighton, disliking school, and his high school art teacher Digby Graham who "saved his life". Comments on attending Ilam art school (University of Canterbury) where his teachers included Tom Taylor, Don Peebles, Doris Lusk and Eileen Mayo, and deciding he wanted to do photography. Mentions the pop culture, art scene, drug use and counter culture in Christchurch at the time. Describes his first cameras, a box brownie (1966-1968) and then a Kodak Retina. Refers to using a 35mm Pentax at university, as well as a 4x5 inch Linhof plate camera from 1968.

Mentions going to Sydney in 1973 and buying his own 4x5 Linhof camera, Schneier lens and Kinderman 4/5 enlarger. Comments on meeting Theo Schoon in Sydney. Talks about moving to Northland in late 1974 and photographing Kaipara sites that were clearly cross cultural. Refers to starting photographing at Waitangi in 1980 and participating in land marches. Talks about moving to Auckland in 1978, being asked to photograph a man with Samoan tattooing, and finding it a "key moment" in his development. Discusses his work photographing Samoan tattooing and tattoo artist Paulo Suluape at work, and using the images in an exhibition and book. Refers to other projects he worked on including Northland 1977-1978, Ngai Tahu histories starting 1978 and Rotorua photographs starting 1979. Recalls his first solo exhibition at the Real Pictures Gallery in 1982. Comments that the Real Pictures studio was a model for Studio La Gonda as a resource base for photographers. Discusses setting up the business Sharp Black & White in September 1982, people involved, and its work. Talks about financial support mechanisms, the ethics of representation and sale of images. Describes Studio La Gonda (SLG), division of labour at the studio, his working methodology, and social life at SLG. Talks about photographers who used the studio including John Miller, Fiona Pardington, Davina Monds and Greg Semu. Explains his approach to teaching art and photography and his passion for large format photography. Describes the physical challenges of working with large format photography, the way the view camera works and his own self taught approach. Comments on the importance of scale with the process of enlargement. Details equipment used at SLG and describes it as "a museum of analogue". Speculates on digital photography and the future of the photographic industry. Lists influences on his work, particularly Ansel Adams, and mentions the Burton Brothers and George Valentine.

Interviewer(s) - Hanna Scott

Accompanying material - List of selected solo exhibitions by Mark Adams and selected bibliography (3 p.)

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-023021 - OHC-023024

Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 4 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7505.

Transfers: To Photographic Archive - four large format photographic negatives.

Photograph of Mark Adams in his studio? (photographer Haruhiko Sameshima; 2007 or 2008)

Search dates: 1949 - 2007

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Listening copies available at OHLCD-1684 to OHLCD-1687