Banner: Erin Lee, from The Crimson Thread (image excerpt)

Erin Lee

Erin Lee is a portrait & documentary photographer whose work spans a variety of commercial and artistic projects. Originally from Aotearoa | New Zealand she is currently based in Naarm | Melbourne where she obtained a Master of Arts in Photography.

She teaches at The Australian College of the Arts and Photography Studies College and runs workshops for diverse creative communities. Erin is also a self-published photobook artist and after studying the artistry of bookbinding, her books often incorporate archival material and handmade elements.

Her first book, Este Lado / This Side, created in collaboration with communities along Mexico’s northern border, explores everyday life, memories and hope in a region often reduced to its violent reputation. The book was developed during the 2020 Photobook NZ masterclass and was a finalist in the Perimeter Photo 2020 Photobook Prize, The Lucie Foundation Photobook Prize and is included in The Photo Book Museum in Cologne, Germany.

Her recent self-published photobook The Crimson Thread, investigates the ubiquitous presence of Australia’s British heritage through the lens of Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Tour of Australia in 1954, to better understand the impacts of colonisation and white privilege on contemporary Australian society. The book has been shortlisted for the LUMA Arles Rencontres Dummy Book Award, Premio Eloi Gimeno for Photobooks, Encontros da Imagem Photobook Awards and The Australian & New Zealand Photobook Awards.

Erin will be talking about her books at Photobook/NZ and holding a Critical Practice Review where you can get one-on-one feedback about your project.

Artist talk - Saturday 9 August, 10A02 Cinema, Block 10, Massey University, Buckle St (off Tasman St). Free event and free parking.

Artist talk with Erin Lee will explore her new self-published photobook, Legal Fiction. Developed over the past three years across multiple Australian states, Legal Fiction investigates how a white Australian nation did not simply emerge as an incidental consequence of colonisation, but was strategically cultivated production.

Tracing the development of the project and how it emerged from the research undertaken for her previous publication, The Crimson Thread. A project which investigates the ubiquitous presence of Australia’s British heritage through the lens of Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Tour of Australia in 1954, documenting what the contemporary settler society of Australia looks like today and its ongoing connection to the British monarchy.

Drawing connections between the two bodies of work, Erin will reflect on the evolution of these projects, the research process, and the role of the photobook as an outcome for examining history.