The Imperfect Beauty of the Sublime

The Imperfect Beauty of the Sublime is an exhibition of 16 images drawn Kozka’s broader body of work and area of research interest Mediated by the Digital Lens. The exhibition will be held at ACEA (Australasian Cultural Arts Exchange) https://acaearts.com.au/About.html

The exhibition opens 1st Oct 2022, Opening night 6th Oct. The exhibition is part of the Head On Photo Festival. One of the images East Coast Tasmania is a finalist in the Perth Centre for Photography’s CLIP Award (Contemporary landscapes in Photography)

Mediated by the Digital Lens

Mediated by the Digital is a large ongoing series and is the umbrella title for my explorations into digital technologies as a way of connecting with naturare and a way of undtsrating place and space. Ths secion focuses on the still images, however I have made several video or moving image connections with nature aa part of the broader series. They can be seen in the ‘Moving Image’ section of the site. The Wilson series was made in 2020 just before Covid hit. I was on a residency in Wilson NC, Feb 2020. I explored the county and used this approach to connect with and understand the county. My focus was not on the urban centres rather the natural spaces, while few are able to live in these space many yearn to. This work was shown as part of the Eyes on Main Street Festival, Wilson NC 2020. The next gallery of images down was the first major exhibition of work from this series. These images were made in Australia, Poland , USA, China and Europe, and explore my connection with nature and technology.

Mediated by the Digital Lens, will continue to grow, I will use it enhance, grown, and develop my connection with nature. While the technologies will change the premise will, (how)can technology enhance our connection to nature.

Lake Wilson, Wilson North Carolina, USA

Mediated by the Digital Lens :

BaoHe Photo Festival, Hefei, China

In a world of rising sea levels, catastrophic climate change and where societies are out of sync with natural cycles, developing a process of connecting, or, more deeply communing with nature through an immersive process of making, seems important. This research explored the impact of the i-device through ideas of engagement/dis-engagement, ‘being in the moment,' and approaches to making that extend the i-device beyond merely capturing a scene. While the project drew on personal, lived experience with an aim for a healing and cathartic process (achieved through making), the works produced – as with all conscious acts – are inherently political. Contribution: The research explored ways the i-device could be used to create an immersive experience, experimenting with how the device could enhance our appreciation and engagement with the natural environment rather than as a distraction that disconnected us from being 'in the moment'. The making process involved the instantaneous layering of exposures: as the image was made, the layering process became visible and interactive. Movement and blur were due to the subtle movements of nature and the maker. As one moved – whether intentionally or not - the image evolved; each breath taken was reflected in the final image. One's physiological response to the landscape was recorded as part of the image. Significance: This project was exhibited at a photographic exhibition at BaoHe Photo (Hefei, China, 2019), a large festival as part of BaoHe Contemporary Arts Festival. The invitation process involved a selection panel that consisted of Li Huishan (Festival Director), Lou Jie (Chief Artistic Director) and BaoHe International Photography Week Organising Committee. The exhibition included prominent artists and curators such as Igor Gavrilov, Irina Tchmyreva and Jeff Moorfoot. BaoHe Photo is at the centre of the cultural events calendar in Hefei which is an established technology centre within China.