To commemorate the 2023 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, I endeavoured to create an ‘in-situ’ body of work. The Ballarat Text seeks to establish a narrative portrait of the regional Victorian city through its transitory and mundane aspects. Acting as a modern day flaneur I sought to uncover the hidden grammar that speaks to Ballarat’s unique character and history. By methodically composing the often overlooked and ambiguous fragments I attempted to defamiliarise the everydayness of the cities architecture. With the hope that it offers an alternate reading of the micro-level intimacy of the historic city – to encourage an awareness of the subtleties that go unnoticed, and to potentially instil a clearer vision of Ballarat.

Biography
Jon Setter was born in 1989 in Detroit, Michigan, and currently lives and works in New York City and Sydney. He received a Master of Fine Arts from The National Art School in 2018. Setter makes photographs which attempt to reveal the unseen aspects of urban spaces by documenting cities from perspectives not normally visualised. He’s held solo exhibitions around Australia and globally. His work has been acquired for many private and public collections and has been included in several international prizes and publications.

Website

Instagram – @jonsetter