Exhibition: The Green Bus – Andrew Chapman
‘Melbourne is the muse of photographer Andrew Chapman, who has spent much of his life documenting our metropolis and the events that have fashioned it. Through a selection of 55 photographs spanning 55 years from 1971, he reveals the social history and community life that have played out on the streets and in the spaces that bring the city’s people together. Without nostalgia but with a candid and curious eye, he points to the traces of the past that mark the passage of time and the chimeric promises of urban life in the 21st century.
The exhibition is also a personal photographic journey. The ‘Green Bus’ from Elsternwick to the city centre made possible Chapman’s early journeys of discovery, which have fuelled his lifelong interest in the city.’ City Gallery website.
Melbourne-born photographer Andrew Chapman OAM studied photography at Prahran College. He commenced work as a news photographer in 1978, and his work has been widely published in newspapers, magazines and online. His personal projects include a focus on the wool industry, Australian politics, rural Australia, organ transplantation and the power industry. He has exhibited across Australia and in the United States and France, and his work is held in the collections of national cultural institutions. He is the author of 10 photographic books.
Photograph above: Andrew Chapman, Chief Fire Officer Laurie Lavelle controls a fire incident, Melbourne, April 1980, gelatin silver print, City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection.
City Gallery. Melbourne Town Hall until 19 February 2027
