Bondi History | Photos by Jon Lewis
Bondi History | Photos by Jon Lewis
Photographer Jon Lewis is an old friend. Melanie met him back in the late 70s in Adelaide. These days our paths cross at the Icebergs Pool where Jonny does his laps whenever he’s in Sydney and not at home in the Southern Highlands.
Jonny first exhibited in 1974. He was a member of Sydney’s “Yellow House” in the early 70s, went on to make experimental video with “Bush Video”, and in 1977 was a founder of Greenpeace Australia, which led a successful campaign to end the slaughter of whales in Australia.
He is also known for these iconic images of Bondi (selection above, and fuller gallery on his website HERE). The photos were taken in 1984/85, and were first exhibited at Coventry Gallery in Paddington. The exhibition also toured France and Belgium.
Max Dupain’s glowing review of that show from 25 June 1985 (see it HERE) likens Jon’s work to that of Diane Arbus, but with greater environmental context and displaying more humour and joy. Max goes on to say: “His outlook is refreshingly extrovert but with a difference. He has great spiritual affinity for these people and uses his camera with appropriate feeling, not just as an instrument for objective recording.”
Finally, observant locals will notice that a framed version of Odd Flippers hangs on the only available wall of the Crabbe Hole poolside café.
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PS: Help Jonny solve a 30 year old mystery. Do you know the identity of the woman with the odd flippers in the first image? If so, let us know HERE.
