John Gollings

Born 1944, Melbourne Australia, John Gollings made his first photographs and received darkroom tuition at age eleven.   Later studied Arts/Architecture at Melbourne University. His studies were supported by architectural and wedding photography.  By 1967 Gollings had begun work as a freelance advertising photographer specialising in fashion.  This work gradually broadened into large scale location work and travel  accounts.  Early international accounts included Philip Morris brands, Shell Petrol, Sitmar Shipping Lines, Air Lanka and Air Nauru.  Amongst local campaigns were Sportsgirl, Jag, Adelle Palmer, ANZ Bank, Australia Post, Great Keppell and Dunk Islands, Marlboro cigarettes, Aywon etc.

As his contemporaries in architecture developed their practices, so the amount of architectural photography increased.  While still shooting for leading graphic designers and advertising agencies, he is considered one of the most interesting of Australia’s architectural documenters.  Characterised by strong formal composition but with a didactic, and wider, contextual viewpoint.  Gollings brings the technical resources and craft skills of a very experienced photographer to a discipline which often lacks either a point of view or the ability to express it.

In 1967 he received private tuition from Ansel Adams in his darkroom at Carmel, California.  He has taught the use of large format cameras, and lectured on architecture and advertising photography at Prahran College, Melbourne and Sydney universities and Philip Institute amongst others.  Recently more time has been spent on longer term projects with  academic or cultural significance for books, exhibitions and fine prints.

Recent commercial work includes, Hyatt Hotels Australasia, Southgate, Levante Hosiery, Oberoi Asia/Pacific, Government of Nauru, Bangkok Land Company, Peddle Thorp International, Denton Corker Marshall International, Nation Fender International, Australian Embassy’s in Riyadh, Beijing and Tokyo and construction of Parliament House Canberra for Mitchell, Girgula, Thorp, Docklands Authority, Interflora, Versace Hotel, Mirvac Hotels, Federation Square and Café Di Stasio.

For further information refer to www.gollingspidgeon.com