Showing at the Art Gallery of Ballarat's Backspace Gallery, Local artist Brian O'Dwyer presents his photographic series Multipurpose. Taken in a swimming pool change room, the images are portraits of O'Dwyer's early morning swimming companions.
The 'multipurpose' pool is designed for aiding people's rehabilitation from injury. O'Dwyer presents each of his 40 subjects in matching backdrops, often still wet from their swims. The accompanying texts and titles also uniformly focus on their common ground; disregarding conventional identifiers of age, class, gender, ethnicity or mobility.
For the artist, the pool is not only a site for exercise; it has also facilitated friendships between participants and himself. The pool has become a vital part of the attendees' routines, contributing to their mental health and overall wellbeing.
Part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
