THE QUARRY

For the past year I've been returning to the Bexhill Quarry, a previous brickworks which closed in 1998, creating a body of work that investigates human behaviour, seasonal and environmental changes and the ecosystems within the parameters of a single site. The location has become a popular swimming destination despite the uncertainty of the safety of the water.

A mother swimming with her teenage son... Wisteria in bloom...Gold Coast tourists...a collapsed road from the February flood...a boy with his kitten...Bundjalung elders...paramedics...a family of eight... P platers... three generations of Japanese women...Lantana flowers...the winter full moon...lovers from Casino.

The observation nature of the project and unpredictability of what I might find at the end of the beaten track feels thrilling. Making these images in one location, with constant and frequent returning, I have developed an acute awareness of the ever transformational nature of the environment and the diversity within my community.

© Tajette O'halloran - The entrance into the quarry swim hole
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The entrance into the quarry swim hole

© Tajette O'halloran - A man's neck with a love bite
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A man's neck with a love bite

© Tajette O'halloran - A group of people packing up and leaving the quarry
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A group of people packing up and leaving the quarry

© Tajette O'halloran - A girl 'having a sad day" sits on the bank after a swim
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A girl 'having a sad day" sits on the bank after a swim

© Tajette O'halloran - Two boys pose for a portrait before they go for a swim
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Two boys pose for a portrait before they go for a swim

© Tajette O'halloran - A girl takes a photo of her friend on her mobile phone
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A girl takes a photo of her friend on her mobile phone

© Tajette O'halloran - The quarry
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The quarry

© Tajette O'halloran - A mother taking a photo of her son jumping from the rocks
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A mother taking a photo of her son jumping from the rocks

© Tajette O'halloran - A boy climbing to jump from the cliff
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A boy climbing to jump from the cliff

© Tajette O'halloran - Belongings of swimmers
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Belongings of swimmers

© Tajette O'halloran - The reflection of the full moon in the water
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The reflection of the full moon in the water

© Tajette O'halloran - A boy with his kitten
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A boy with his kitten

© Tajette O'halloran - The entrance to the quarry after the flood
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The entrance to the quarry after the flood

© Tajette O'halloran - The winter mist on the water at dawn
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The winter mist on the water at dawn

© Tajette O'halloran - A man lights up a cigarette on the bank
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A man lights up a cigarette on the bank

© Tajette O'halloran - The exposed roots of a tree the top of the quarry cliff
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The exposed roots of a tree the top of the quarry cliff

© Tajette O'halloran - A Japanese woman taking photos of swimmers
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A Japanese woman taking photos of swimmers

© Tajette O'halloran - Boys cover their bodies in mud while a girl sunbathes and looks at her phone
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Boys cover their bodies in mud while a girl sunbathes and looks at her phone

© Tajette O'halloran - View from the remaining fence surrounding the quarry
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View from the remaining fence surrounding the quarry

© Tajette O'halloran - P plater tradies gather on the banks as the sun is going down
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P plater tradies gather on the banks as the sun is going down

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