For Ben Cauchi

A DigitalNZ Story by Courtney Johnston

Wanganui photographer Ben Cauchi has an exhibition opening at City Gallery Wellington on 20 October. Cauchi works with 19th century photographic techniques - salt prints, tintypes, ambrotypes, wet collodion plates - formats that require fast, accurate hand processing and are open to mishap and failure. This set brings together examples of Cauchi's own work with historical examples of these photographic processes. There's a denseness and mystery to Cauchi's work that I find very appealing. Assembling even this small collection of his work also makes me start to see motifs: the camera as face/eye, the glowing heart, the domestic rendered ghostly, empty space that's full of presence.

For Ben Cauchi

Loose Canvas

Self-portrait

The photographer's shirt

Interior, early hours

Carroll, Jennifer Maree, fl 2007 :Tintype portrait of the Connolly family

Tanner album

Portrait of a Maori woman

James Francis Meadows, fl 1850

Unidentified man and two boys

Unidentified man and woman

Unidentified man

Unidentified woman

Ambrotype showing full length portrait of...

Handcoloured ambrotype showing 3/4...

Seated couple

Unidentified woman

Woody Bay, Devon, England

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, England

House with thatched roof, Britain

East wall of Tintern Abbey, Tintern, Wales

Building and park, Britain

Gravestone of Rev William Woon, Wanganui

Maori woman from Hawkes Bay district

Maori man from Hawkes Bay

Maori woman from Hawkes Bay district

Maori woman from Hawkes Bay district

Arihi Te Nahu

Mr Hadley

Maori carved figure and grave, Wanganui district

Heda Henly

Miss Mima (Jemima) Potto

Maori woman, Hawkes Bay district

Man riding a Boneshaker bicycle

Tomb of Potatau Te Wherowhero