Look: contemporary Australian photography since 1980

Anne Marsh's massive new book Look: contemporary Australian photography since 1980 was launched last night at CCP. Look is 400 pages and includes hundreds of full-colour illustrations, all organised according to thematic chapters: identity, life, experiment, space and environment. Marsh has also written five short essays that elaborate the ideas used to organise the photographic illustrations. The essays provide a great context for the pictures, flagging the critical, curatorial and commercial factors that have helped shape recent Australian photographic practice. It's lush and perfect for xmas. Also, as with such surveys, it is great to go through and see how Marsh's selection of 190 artists and their photographs stacks up against your own wish list of great Australian photographs from the last 30 years!

New North exhibition: call for entries

After the success of their first gallery-curated exhibition Four elements: air, New North are asking for submissions for the second instalment in this series – Four elements: water. The exhibition will take place at the Fairfield gallery from 3 to 26 February 2010.

Four elements: water will explore the subject of water (of which Victorians have seen a lot lately!) in photography through the depiction of bodies of water (sea, lakes, rivers, puddles), clouds, atmospheric effects, wetness, condensation, environmental photography, as well as social or political commentary associated with water issues. Contact David (david@newnorth.com.au) or Micheal (michael@newnorth.com.au) for details.