John Chapman

Inside the Mind.

Below the Surface.

[or Under the Surface.]

…with the volume at 11

CCP asks John Chapman the questions about his craft

1. What gets you out of bed every day?

·         Coffee from my home expresso machine

2. Who is the photographer that has inspired you the most?

·         Roger Ballen for his sense of the bizarre.  He uses weird and disparate objects to create compelling, theatrical images.

3. What camera are you currently shooting with?

·         Nikon D5, Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Samsung phone, depending on the subject

4. When you’re on a shoot, do you play music? What other essentials do you have with you?

·         No, probably too focussed on the shoot, but sounds like a good idea.

·         Lighting equipment appropriate for the shoot

5. In the digital world, how important is the print?

·         A sense of achievement. A framed print on the wall is always there to savour. A digital image may be impressive and convenient to show but is somehow ephemeral.

6. B/W – Colour – Analogue – Digital. Put these in order of preference and tell us why.

·         Digital, Colour, B/W, Analogue.  Digital provides a whole new world of creation beyond what is just in front of the camera. Colour because I like the flexibility if provides.

7. Have you exhibited your work, and how important was the framing process?

·         Yes, in a number of joint exhibitions with members of the Nebuli Arts group. Framing is extremely important. An inappropriate frame can seriously distract from the image.

8. What defines a great image?

·         Compelling and intriguing

9. What is your favourite photo you’ve taken? Why?

·         The first image in my Red Right Hand series. In this image I use symbolism to address contrasting themes of control, power and piety. And I like its aesthetics.

10. What’s the best photography advice you’ve been given?

·         Probably that a photographic image is a form of language to communicate ideas and emotions. This came from Des Crawley, a Professor in  the field of of Communication.

11. When you’re not taking photos, what are you doing?


·         I am heavily involved in mineralogy; the study and collection of mineral specimens.  I do a lot of photography in this field. I also love my veggie garden and cooking.

High point in your career?


·         Probably being a 4 time finalist in the Gosford Art Prize with the images being exhibited in the Gosford Regional Gallery.

Low point in your career?

·         My advancing age. I have creative ideas but declining motivation doesn’t see them acted on.

John Chapman - July 2026

Artist's Statement:

I have a scientific background in geology and mineralogy but always craved an outlet for stirrings of an artistic sensibility.  Photography provides this, and digital photography opened horizons for experimentation and creativity.

My work is mainly conceptual with a leaning to the dark and complex.  Allusion, pareidolia, abstraction and coalescence - things are not always what they seem.

On the more prosaic side my photography of mineral and crystal specimens has been published in a number of forums including conferences, scientific papers, journals and books.

See more of John’s work at https://www.nebuliarts.com/f1057432734 ,  Instagram at #cerussite5, Facebook under John Chapman

Exhibitions include nine with the Nebuli Arts group at galleries in Willoughby, Chatswood, Lane Cove and Bondi.

Competition wins include:

Nudes on Tap, Tap Gallery Winner (2020)

The Aperture Club “A Sense of Place” (2020)

Charing Cross Photography (2023)

Tucson Show Mineral Photography Competition (2026)

Published

Silvershotz online magazine - December 2016 issue

John Chapman

Mbl       0435 085 050

Email    chapmanjr @optusnet.com.au 

Acompanying photos

Arbitary Space Nos 1-2.       This series brings arbitrary forms to life by the inclusion of an eye.

Coalesce Nos 1-2.   Two subjects are combed into one image to examine the relationships between them.

Faceless and Many Hands are portraits with a difference

Primeval Nos 1-2.   Created faces that tap into primal dreams.

Red Right Hand Nos 1-3.  Inspired by Nic Cave and the Bad Seeds’ eponymous song, this series explores the cultural symbolism of a red hand.

.

Showerscapes Nos 1-3.   This series alludes to imagined abstract landscapes. Although providing a sense of far-off places they are reflections off my shower curtain.