B.

The early photographic interests of Bill Brandt show his concern for victims of the grim "thirties" depression conditions in the north of England. When he returned to London at the outbreak of World War II it was to photograph life in the blackout and air-raid shelters for the Ministry of Information. These grim experiences caused Brandt to move away from reporting for a few years, and he devoted himself to experimenting with the more poetic possibilities of photography.

His interests then led him to what became a 15 year preoccupation with nudes, frequently photographed in landscape, from seemingly distorted perspectives. These photographs more than any other he is known for, are remarkable in that they were taken with an old wooden Kodak camera, which, because of its small aperture, meant he had virtually no image in vision.

The sixty photographs in this exhibition cover the work of Bill Brandt from 1932 through to the 70s and shows his wide ranging interest in people, places, and the science of photography.

The Shadowy World of Bill Brandt has been brought to New Zealand with the assistance of the British Council. The tour has been organised by the NZ Art Gallery Directors' Council with financial assistance from the QEII Arts Council.