Prosopagnosia
Toby Burrows
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Free
Toby Burrows. Explores the purpose of photography and portraiture by working to capture the intriguing detail of each sitter, to serve as a memory.
I have tended to greet everyone like a long lost friend. Incase they are.
I have over-compensated my whole life for my seemingly sketchy memory for faces with an enthusiastic greeting to all. Everybody wins.
I had never given it much thought. I seemed to be getting away with it.
At a party a few months ago in unfamiliar surroundings. I was greeted by Rachel. ‘Hi Rachel, Good to meet you!’ I said. She replied, ‘You have met me several times, and you never remember my face. I am a psychologist. You have Prosopagnosia’ She demanded
Vague? maybe. ‘Arty’? possibly, but Pro-so what? I thought.
Someone said to me that night of the conversation, ‘Maybe that is why you take photographs? To remember.’
Well, that was it. It was on. I dusted off an old Hasselblad camera and started shooting portraits. No friend was safe.
I love portraiture photography. The most simple of ingredients. It is intimate and needs to be so. There needs to be a shared element of trust. As a musician may describe a song as ‘three chords and the truth’, the same thought process may be assimilated to black and white portrait photography. I introduced elements of obscurity into the portraits to reference the challenge of recognition related to the Prosopagnosia condition.
In history, photographic portraiture has served as not only as an artistic depiction but also a method of identification in the form of the mug shot or passport photograph. ‘No smiling, please. Straight into the lens’ It was my intension to blur the lines between these two portraiture genres. The project was an excuse to document the people in my life.
The ABC Compass has produced a documentary based around the Prosopagnosia photography project, called I never forget a face, which will air next year.
I am looking forward to printing the Prosopagnosia show in its physical form and walking through a gallery again with you all! See you on the other side.
Toby was immersed in art from a very young age. He has built an eclectic collection of personal and commissioned work, establishing a significant base of advertising clients both in Australia and internationally. His edgy style and award-winning photography have been celebrated with a World Press Award, New York Festival Gold and numerous Cannes and one show finalists. Toby pursues his conceptual projects passionately. ‘Fallen’, Toby’s first international solo photography exhibition, received significant recognition through publications such as the NY Arts Magazine and ‘Dazed and Confused’ Magazine UK.
Kickstart our month-long festival of the arts with music, photography, and community on the shores of the dazzling Bondi Beach. Be the first to know who won the 2024 Head On Photo Awards and get a taste of the photographs redefining visual storytelling.
Enthralling. Enchanting. Extraordinary. Discover exceptional photography for free around Sydney during the festival 8 Nov–1 Dec 2024