Fishman of SE Australia [Ongoing 1988-]

Above: John Reid Fishman Documentation Natural Reservoir, Budawang Ranges, Morton National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency. Exposure activated by 3 remote sensors

Above: John Reid Fishman Documentation Mongarlowe River, Monga National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency. Exposure activated by 3 remote sensors

Above: John Reid Fishman Documentation Wadbilliga River, Wadbilliga National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency. Exposure activated by 3 remote sensors

Above: John Reid Fishman Documentation Mongarlowe River, Monga National Park, NSW. A sequence activated by an underwater sensor attached to an orbital scanning device mounted on a tripod with 35mm camera

Fishman of SE Australia

The artwork, collectively titled The Fishman of SE Australia, consists of a photographic exhibition (mural-sized prints from 10x8" transparencies); an oral visual work (public lecture format, 1 hour duration, 67 slides); and a documentation of related pictures and narrative that have appeared in print and electronic media. The artwork is process oriented and open ended. Each component contributes to a whole that has no internally limiting parameters. The artwork continues to unfold.

The Fishman of SE Australia is the product of travelling in remote parts of SE Australia . The Walks - which resulted in the profound discovery of a piscine hominid, which I called Fishman, in the wild rivers of the region. The Documentations - which culminated in my large format photographs of Fishman and its pristine domain. The Swims - unmediated by artefact and which took me beneath the surface of rivers seeking contact with this creature. And subsequently, The Returns - which sent me gasping back to my culture like a pilgrim, brimming with messages.

The artwork charts my personal responses to Fishman as thoughts and deeds. As I summarily reflected in my journal:-

‘One never recovers from a journey into the wild. I was vitalised with clear missions; yet, disorientated in terms of my hitherto enduring personal philosophy. I knew all things were a construct of the mind; yet, my mind had constructed in Fishman something of myself of which I was not aware. Through my obsession with this creature, I discovered the power of silence. I discovered the power of advocacy. I discovered a discovery. I endured scepticism armed with nothing more than human testament. I attracted as believers people who value imagination as much as knowledge. I aggravated as detractors people who have been suffocated by reason. I repelled in twitches scientists who had lost their sense of wonder. Amid this, I rationally formulated art strategies. I secured Fishman from the scrutiny of destructive scientific method. Fishman, I discovered, was a fine art discovery not a scientific one. I published my findings within the visual arts to effect the public perception of my experiences of Fishman as parable and as allegory to elevate Fishman from fact/specimen to fiction/symbol. I collaborated with journalists to build Fishman as super media myth so that the idea/image of it could be put to work in our mass mediated society:- in campaigns to save old growth forests; in promotions to save national parks. I have drafted an ethic pertaining to photographic practice in wild places that is responsive to conservation concerns. Again, my art practice changes’.

Above: John Reid Fishman Domain, Tuross River, Wadbilliga National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency

Above: John Reid Fishman Domain Coastal Escarpment, Deua National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency

Above: John Reid Fishman Expedition Self Portrait Hidden Valley, Morton National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency

Above: John Reid Fishman Expedition Self Portrait Budawang Range, Morton National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency

Above: John Reid Fishman Expedition Self Portrait [Seeking an Encounter with Fishman], Cave Creek, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW. 8x10 inch transparency

Fishman Oral/Visual Narrative

A 50-minute, narrative with 67 projected images delivered in public lecture format.

Above: John Reid Fishman Oral/ Visual Script — Above: John Reid *Fishman Oral/ Visual Script*. A5 page thumbnails (intentionally illegible) to indicate the sequence of image and text.

Fishman Folio

Photographs and Journal Entries 1988 - 1994

Above: John Reid Fishman Documentation Bendethra, Deua River, Deua National Park, NSWJournal Entry: May 1988 ANU School of Art. It is crucial from the outset that the expedition affirm Fishman as a fine art discovery, not a scientific one. We must deflect destructive scientific methods of scrutiny; secure Fishman from the vivisector, from the taxonomist, and from the possible deleterious consequences of mass public reaction. We must not impose additional risks upon the creature. As a symbol, Fishman is a gift. As a specimen, it’s a nightmare.I will strive to temper the insatiable human quest for knowledge with a plea for the acceptance of mystery. I must not be distracted from maintaining control over the results of my fieldwork. I shall continue to address Fishman aesthetically with my chosen medium of expression and document it in the context of the landscape with its attendant visual subtleties. — Above: John Reid ***Fishman Documentation*** *Bendethra, Deua River, Deua National Park, NSW*
**Journal Entry: May 1988** ANU School of Art. It is crucial from the outset that the expedition affirm Fishman as a fine art discovery, not a scientific one. We must deflect destructive scientific methods of scrutiny; secure Fishman from the vivisector, from the taxonomist, and from the possible deleterious consequences of mass public reaction. We must not impose additional risks upon the creature. As a symbol, Fishman is a gift. As a specimen, it’s a nightmare.
I will strive to temper the insatiable human quest for knowledge with a plea for the acceptance of mystery. I must not be distracted from maintaining control over the results of my fieldwork. I shall continue to address Fishman aesthetically with my chosen medium of expression and document it in the context of the landscape with its attendant visual subtleties.

Adjacent photograph and Journal Entry are from Fishman: A Photographic Folio with Journal Entries 1988-1994. John Reid, 2010. The Folio was produced for exhibition at the Centre for Art + Environment (CA+E), Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, USA, 2010. The Folio was designed by John Reid and printed by RLDI Canberra on A2 Hahnemuhle Photo 100% cotton Rag and is housed in an archival clamshell box. An edition of the Folio is held in the CA+E Archive.

In 1988 John Reid, together with three colleagues from the Photomedia Workshop, Canberra School of Art (now School of Art & Design, The Australian National University), undertook a photographic expedition into the Wyanbene Caves, Deua National Park, NSW, about 90 km southeast of Canberra. The group emerged from underground with exposed 35mm film which, when processed, revealed an image of a human-like figure swimming in the stream that flowed through the cave. The photographers also secured a second image of a humanoid form in an above ground watercourse linked to the cave river system. These two photographs instigated several expeditions to document the creature, called Fishman, and its domain in southeast Australia.

Fishman Field Journal

Working Journal / Selected pages

Above: 1988 Working Journal Cover — Above: **1988 Working Journal** Cover

Fishman Public Presentations and Media Exposure

The following list is comprehensive for overseas presentations from 1988 to 2016; and from 1992 to 2003 in Australia. From 2003 to 2013, and from 2014 to the present, records are still being compiled.

Overseas

1988 15 January Good Morning Hong Kong TVB Jade Hong Kong 7.45am. Storytelling as live interview for television. Colour slides. Duration: 9 minutes. Translator and interviewer: Yu Man See. Estimated viewing audience: 2.5 million. 28 January Public Lecture Centre for Extra Mural Studies. University of Hong Kong HK. Storytelling as public lecture. Colour slides. Duration: 20 minutes. Viewing audience: 60

1991 20 January Lecture Department of Art History. Silpakorn University Bangkok. Thailand. Story-telling in lecture format. Colour slides. Duration: 20 minutes. Viewing audience: 50

2010 The Fishman Project Centre for Art + Environment Gallery, Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, USA. Storytelling in front of artwork. Viewing audience: 35. The Fishman of SE Australia Department of Art and Art History. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM, USA. Story-telling in lecture format. Colour slides. Duration: 50 minutes. Viewing audience: 20.

2011 The Fishman of SE Australia Department of Art and Art History. University of New Mexico. Albuquerque NM, USA. Storytelling in lecture format. Colour slides. Duration: 50 minutes.

2016 September The Fishman of SE Australia King’s High School, Dunedin, New Zealand. Storytelling in lecture format. Colour slides. Duration: 30 minutes. Viewing audience: 35.

Australia

1992 26 August and 9 September ANU Reporter Published by University Public Relations ANU. Storytelling as Newspaper correspondence. B/W photographs. Collaboration with Peter Cotton, Editor. Print run: 10 thousand. 13 September The Sunday Telegraph. Published by Nation Wide News Pty Ltd. Storytelling as interview for press. B/W photographs. Journalist: Brad Crouch. Circulation: To be researched. 14 September 2HD Radio Newcastle Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 5 minutes. Interviewer: Greg Pace. Estimated audience: To be Researched 15 September The Today Show 9 Network Australia 8.15am. Storytelling as live interview for television. 10x8 colour transparencies and B/W photographs. Duration: 4 minutes. Interviewer: Liz Hayes. Estimated viewing audience: To be researched. WIN News News item. 6.20pm. Storytelling as news interview. 10x8 colour transparencies and B/W prints. Interviewer: Jeremy Lassick. Duration:21/2 minutes. Estimated viewing audience: To be researched. 16 September Snowy Life (Thredbo) Published by Summit Sun Newspapers. Storytelling as interview for press. B/W photographs. Journalist: Gordon Wiegold. Article and photographs published October Edition. 17 September Late Night Live ABC Radio National 10.20pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 20 minutes. Interviewer: Phillip Adams. Estimated audience: To be Researched. 18 September The Andrew Ollie Show ABC Radio Sydney. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 8 minutes. Interviewer: Margaret Throsby. Estimated audience: To be researched.

1993 20 September ANU Open Day 1992 Haydon Allen Tank ANU 1pm. Storytelling as public lecture. Colour slides and sound. Duration: 60 minutes. Viewing audience: 350. 26 July The Canberra Times Published by Federal Capital Press Pty Ltd. Storytelling as interview for press. B/W photograph. Journalist: Maria Taylor. Circulation: To be researched. 27 July The Tony Allen Show. ABC Radio Canberra 4.40pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 10 minutes. Interviewer: Tony Allen. Estimated audience: To be researched. 29 July ANU Environment Week 1993 Haydon Allen Tank ANU 8pm. Storytelling as public lecture. Colour slides and sound. Duration: 60 minutes. Viewing audience: 300. 2 August The 7.30 Report ABC Television 7.50pm. Storytelling as interview for television. 10x8 colour transparencies. Duration: 5 minutes. Interviewer: Justin Murphy. Estimated viewing audience: To be researched. 4 August NSW Country Hour ABC Radio 12.45pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 5 minutes. Interviewer: Sophie Longdon. Estimated audience: To be researched. 6 October The Picture Published by ACP Publishing Pty Ltd. Storytelling as interview for press. B/W and colour photographs. Interviewer: Jeremy Chunn. Print run: 150,000 Aust and NZ. 10 November ANU Reporter. Published by University Public Relations ANU. Storytelling as press article. B/W photographs. Print run: 10,000. The Fishman of SE Australia Haydon Allen Lecture ANU 5pm. Storytelling as public lecture. Projected slides and sound. Viewing audience: 120. 13 November The Canberra Times Published by Federal Capital Press Pty Ltd. B/W photograph. Print run: To be researched. 13 and 14 November The Exhibition Room gallery floor Storytelling in front of artwork. Viewing audience:30. 16 November The Julie Derret Show ABC Radio 11.35am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 4 minutes. Interviewer: Terry Malcolm. Estimated audience:To be researched. 18 November The Fishman of SE Australia Haydon Allen Lecture ANU 5pm. Storytelling as public lecture. Projected slides and sound. Viewing audience: 40. 20 and 21 November The Exhibition Room gallery floor Storytelling in front of artwork. Viewing audience:40. 14 December Northern Extra ABC Radio 9.40am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: John Nutting. Duration: 4min. Estimated audience: To be researched. 17 December The Breakfast Show andThe Morning Show Radio 4TO 8.15am and 11.50am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Duration: 2min and 3 min. Estimated audience: To be researched. The Fishman of SE Australia Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville 7pm. Storytelling as a public lecture. Projected slide and sound. Viewing audience: 50

1994 27 March High Tide ABC Radio 2KY 8.45am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Producer: Kirren Reekie. Duration: 10 minutes. Estimated audience: To be researched. 29 July The Canberra City News Storytelling as interview for press. B/W photograph. Interviewer: Barbara Olf. Print run: To be researched. 2 August The Canberra Times Storytelling as interview for press. Interviewer: Marion Firth. Print run: To be researched. The Julle Derret Show ABC Radio 10.35am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: Julie Derret. Duration: 6min. Estimated audience: To be researched. 3 August The Fishman of SE Australia Arts Centre ANU 7.30pm. Storytelling as a public lecture. Admission fee: $10/$7. Projected slide and sound. Viewing audience: 80. 17 September. Good Weekend John Fairfax Group SMH/The Age. Storytelling as interview for press. Colour photograph. Interviewer: Peter Cotton. Print run: 2.5 million. 25 September The Sunday Telegraph Nation Wide News. Story-telling in response to Press Release. Paul Le Petit Benelong. Print run: To be researched. 30 September The Age / Entertainment Guide John Fairfax Group. B/W photograph with caption. Print run: To be researched. 2 October Radio TripleR Melbourne Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: David Berryman. Duration: 3min. Estimated audience: To be researched. 3 October The Age John Fairfax Group. Arts and Entertainment Highlights of the Day. Story-telling for the press. Print run: To be researched. The Fishman of SE Australia Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, 7pm. Storytelling as a public lecture. Admission fee: $3. Projected slides and sound. Viewing audience: 90. 4 October Drive With Ramona Kovall ABC Radio National 5.52 pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: Ramona Kovall. Duration: 6min. Estimated audience: 85,000. 11 October Triple J ABC Radio National 10.40 am. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: Sharon Longridge. Duration: 8min. Estimated audience: To be researched

1995 22, 23, 24 August The Fishman of SE Australia COFA Gallery COFA UNSW Sydney. Storytelling as a public lecture. Projected slides and sound. Viewing audience: Approx 15 on each occasion. 23 August 2BL ABC Radio Sydney NSW 2.30pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer:Jennifer Flemming. Duration: 4min. Estimated audience: To be researched

1997 19 December Hay FM FM Radio Hay NSW 12.30 pm. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer: Airlie Wright. Duration: 5min. Estimated audience: To be researched. 19 Dec The Fishman of SE Australia Patterson Street Gallery Hay NSW. Storytelling as a public lecture. Projected slides and sound. Viewing audience: 9

1998 May / June The Fishman of SE Australia Yr 12 Art students Narrabundah College. Canberra ACT. Story telling. Duration: 1 Hr x 2. Viewing audience: 20

1999 4 May The Fishman of SE Australia "Visions of Future Landscapes" Fenner Conference on the Environment. National Convention Centre ACT. Story telling. Duration: 45min. Viewing audience: 60. 21 September The Fishman of SE Australia Department of the Environment, Section Heads Conference. Storytelling as conceptual catalyst. Duration: 45min. Viewing audience: 45

2000 12 October The Fishman of SE Australia National Capital Authority Seminar. Storytelling as conceptual catalyst. Duration: 45min. Viewing audience/participants: 15

2000 5 August The Fishman of SE Australia 2nd Annual Symposium on Systems Research in the Arts. The Utilisation and Application of Information networks in the Visual Arts. A Case Study in Television and Print Mass Media. ‘Untitled. Collage of Australian Banknotes’ and ‘The Fishman of SE Australia’. Duration: 20 min. Attendance: 30. 13 October The Fishman of SE Australia Australian Photographic Society National Conference. Story telling. Duration: 60min. Viewing audience: 300

2001 2 August ABC Regional and State Radio Storytelling as interview for radio. 2CN The Rod Quinn Show and The Christopher Laurence Show. Interviewer : Sarina Locke. 13 Minutes. Audience: To be researched. 3 August ANU Reporter Article and photograph as political action. 1700 words. Print run: To be researched. 10 August 12.30pm and 5.30pm The Fishman of SE Australia Storytelling for the ANU Environment Collective. Duration: 60min. Viewing audience: 70 2002 7 June The Fishman of SE Australia Braidwood National Theatre. Storytelling as fundraiser for legal challenge against proposed charcoal factory, Mogo. Duration: 60 minutes. Audience: 150. 16 September The Fishman of SE Australia MDBC Planning Workshop. After dinner guest speaker. Duration: 60min. Viewing audience: 16. 12 December The Fishman of SE Australia CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Seminar Series. Caughley Seminar Room. Duration: 60min. Viewing audience: 30

2003 24 January Dubbo Daily Liberal Storytelling for the press. News item: Artist using intriguing imagery to push conservation message. Print run: To be researched. 25 January Dubbo Daily Liberal Storytelling for the press Art Column: Fishy image makes waves. Print run: To be researched. 28 January Daily Telegraph Storytelling for the press. News item: Fishman: Riddle of a river’s elusive dweller. Print run: To be researched. 29 January ABC Radio Orange Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer : Lisa Hampshire. 4 min interview. Estimated listeners: 250,000. 2UE Sydney Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer : John Harker. 4 min interview. 2SM plus 14 regional stations in NSW and S Qld Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer : Graham Gilbert. 8 min interview. Estimated listeners: 1 million. 30 January ABC Radio Canberra Replay 2001 interview with Sarina Locke. Storytelling as interview for radio. Interviewer : Louise Mahr. 3 min interview. 1 February 2UE Sydney Storytelling as interview for radio. 5 min. 23 February Sunday Herald Sun Storytelling for the press. News item: Mystery of Bush Beasts. Print run: To be researched.

2014 7 February The Fishman of SE Australia Canberra Museum and Gallery. Storytelling as a public lecture. Projected colour slides. Viewing audience: 35.