Paola’s PHD working title is The Forgotten Pictorialists and looks at the development of widespread uptake of photographic practice both in scientific, political, private and artistic circles/clubs. The central aim of the research is to position WA practice within the historical narrative, which to date has overlooked Western Australia, and prove the existence of a knowledge circle, an intrinsically local and highly skilled practice, a strong collaborative network between amateur photographers and established artists, equally as significant as the East Coast exemplars which have almost exclusively been cited to document the development of Australian photographic history. Western Australia has generally been remote from what historical studies consider the centres of the country’s cultural and political authority. Yet, despite its geographical distance from other States, Western Australia has always been an integral part of significant circles of influence. Rather than look at the history of photography in Western Australia as a series of accidental rather than planned advancements, a by-product subordinate to other notable or critically acclaimed Australian histories, Paola is exploring local developments in terms of their own specific trace and as a new chapter of the evolution of Australia’s photographic narrative.

Paola Anselmi is a Perth-based curator and arts writer. Paola has curated numerous exhibitions and undertaken public and private collection development and public art projects across the State. She writes regularly for a range of Australian arts publications including exhibition publications, major monographs, and art journals.

Find out more at www.collectingthewest.org