Dates: Friday 26 February - Sunday 25 April

Les Chandler: ahead of his time

Mary Chandler
with Michael Silver, Magnet Galleries Melbourne Inc.

Born in 1888, Les Chandler was a man of vision years ahead of his time.  One of Australia’s early ornithologists and conservationists, and one of Red Cliffs’ original soldier settlers.  Les was a prolific photographer whose pictures have hung all over the world including England, USA, Canada, India, Japan and Australia. He often adapted equipment in the course of trying to take the right photograph whether it was the fleeting image of a bird, a characterful old cowshed, or a picture of himself working the block or literally perched up the top of a Mallee tree setting up a camera in a wedge-tailed eagle’s nest.

His interests also swept up the written word, art and music.  “Creative writers, scientists, artists, musicians and actors are to me the most interesting people in the world. It is their culture that helps to make the world a better place to live in.”
 
This exhibition provides, for the first time, the opportunity to view the range of Les Chandler’s incredible photography, some of his ingenious photographic equipment, and material selected from his archive. The themes explored include WWI, early block life at Red Cliffs, scenes both local to the Mallee and further afield, natural history subjects, and the fascinating people he met along the way.

Magnet Galleries Melbourne Inc. and Mildura Arts Centre gratefully acknowledge the encouragement and support provided by the Executors of Mary Chandler’s Estate to see this exhibition realised.