Halloween may have been and gone for another year, but there is certainly nothing spooky about the ethereal and emotive work of Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) PhotoAccess resident recipient Lori Cicchini and her soon-to-open exhibition, Ghost Stories. 

Whispering Magic – Lori’s favourite from the collection.

An award-winning fashion and portrait photographer, Lori’s stunning images are inspired by a collection entitled Chateau la Mothe-Chandeniers by Canberra-based designer label, Rockstars and Royalty.  The Chateau, an abandoned 13th century castle in France’s Loire Valley, was originally owned by the Baucay family and has, over the years, been handed down through the generations. In the early 19th century the Chateau was restored to grandeur, however an unfortunate series of events saw the castle partially destroyed by fire in 1932 and so it has since remained unattended. Like anything abandoned, it has fallen to disrepair with the overgrowth of wild plants and the persistent tenants of Mother Nature, both of which have seen the destruction of the castle’s walls and much of the roof now caved in.

Solid, beautiful and rich in history, its fragmented and fractured memories are the very inspiration for Lori’s Ghost Stories; a collection of images that imagine the life that once dwelled within the Chateau’s walls while blending the organic life that it has now succumbed to and the ruins left behind. Lori explains that she was drawn to the idea of how the castle was once a home heaving with stories and a lifetime of events that changed its external appearance over time. Even now, despite its new weathered life, she says the castle that once stood proud and strong has a new story that has evolved with the inhabitance of the forest creatures and the overwhelming and encroaching vegetation that has taken over the castle, breaking down its walls and absorbing everything in its path.

With an bottomless pool of inspiration, the Chateau de la Mothe-Chandeniers represents more than just a strong, historic, overturned structure. The abandoned castle represents environment; its walls the boundaries much like those we experience in life, but despite their relentless restrictions, the walls concede and crumble to make room for new life, new growth, new experiences and ‘creatures’ to move in and create a new world. Much like the way we as humans experience life.

“Each image in the collection, translates into my interpretation of the stages experienced in life and death, love and fear, and despair and hope,” says Lori.

For all of us, life is filled with the joys of birth, the grief of death, the pains of love and loneliness, the gains and losses of life. But for each of us, the emotions take us on a different journey with no two the ever the same.

“There are 17 images in total and each is about these very emotions; each is a discovery,” she says.

“I have experienced each of the emotions as I imagine many people have and can relate to.”

As a mother of three premature triplet sons who have tiptoed the line of death on many occasions (they’re big boys now about to turn 18 next month), Lori shares that she, like all mothers, still feels a wave of emotions including vulnerability.

“It still haunts me that one day I could lose them [my boys],” she says. “But it’s all out of my control—destiny plays its own tune.”

Locally based in the nation’s capital, Lori’s work often presents emotive narratives that encapsulate all that is dark and provoking, peaceful and beautiful, and all simultaneously. Proud of her Ghost Stories collection, it is the piece Whispering Magic that she calls her favourite.

“I start with the idea of love and how it has affected my life; the idea of it [love] being this emotion so powerful yet so pure and immature, it leaves my heart open to so much which has no boundaries,” Lori explains.

“It’s hard to put into words; it’s felt more in music. But my love is not only limited to [romantic] partnerships but [felt with] family and most importantly my children. They are the ones that will never limit my love to boundaries.”

Her work has received numerous industry awards and prizes both in Australia and abroad. This year alone, she was a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran Contemporary Photographic Portrait Prize and named ACT Emerging Photographer of the Year by the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.

But despite her accolades she says it takes more than just a camera to turn something from a thought into something tangible. Her inspiration was the chateau—yes—but the initial concept developed from an innocent conversation had at the beginning of the year with Rockstars and Royalty designer, Vicki Kidd-Gallichan while drawing designs for a collection. 

“I pictured my interpretation in my head pretty much immediately and developed the ideas for the images soon after,” Lori says.

“I brought together the team over three months (June to August) while I sourced props and designed sets for each concept.”

By the end of August, the finished work was Ghost Stories. But it was still yet to be put through the post-production process, final proofing and of course, printing. Says Lori, “It has been an epic eight months.”

“I would hope that people might relate to my images…and feel they might know a little more about me,” says Lori.

“I certainly learn something more about myself every time I open my life up in images.”

There is no order to the images of Ghost Stories with each independent of the next.  So explore them as you will; perhaps you may even read into it your own story and find something that resonates with you inside.

Presented by PhotoAccess, the exhibition will be opened by writer and curator Magda Keaney and will coincide with Andrea Pitsilos’ Travel Diaries and Liam James’ Dole/Dolour: An Allegory for the Fifth Corner of the World. Each year PhotoAccess selects two graduates from CIT for PhotoAccess emerging artist residencies with the intention to assist the selected photographers in the emerging stage of their careers and with limited exhibition experience while also helping to develop and present new work in Huw Davies Gallery exhibitions. Lori graduated from CIT in 2013 and is joined by fellow graduate, Andrea Pitsilos as recipients of the 2014 PhotoAccess Canberra Institute of Technology emerging artist residencies program. 

The essentials

What: Ghost Stories by Lori Cicchini

Where: Huw Davies Galler—Manuka Arts Centre, Manuka Circle, Griffith

When: Opening night 6pm Thursday 6 November; exhibition continues until Sunday 23 November (10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday & 12pm-4pm weekends)

Halloween may have been and gone for another year, but there is certainly nothing spooky about the ethereal and emotive work of Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) PhotoAccess resident recipient Lori Cicchini and her soon-to-open exhibition, Ghost Stories. 

Whispering Magic – Lori’s favourite from the collection.

An award-winning fashion and portrait photographer, Lori’s stunning images are inspired by a collection entitled Chateau la Mothe-Chandeniers by Canberra-based designer label, Rockstars and Royalty.  The Chateau, an abandoned 13th century castle in France’s Loire Valley, was originally owned by the Baucay family and has, over the years, been handed down through the generations. In the early 19th century the Chateau was restored to grandeur, however an unfortunate series of events saw the castle partially destroyed by fire in 1932 and so it has since remained unattended. Like anything abandoned, it has fallen to disrepair with the overgrowth of wild plants and the persistent tenants of Mother Nature, both of which have seen the destruction of the castle’s walls and much of the roof now caved in.

Solid, beautiful and rich in history, its fragmented and fractured memories are the very inspiration for Lori’s Ghost Stories; a collection of images that imagine the life that once dwelled within the Chateau’s walls while blending the organic life that it has now succumbed to and the ruins left behind. Lori explains that she was drawn to the idea of how the castle was once a home heaving with stories and a lifetime of events that changed its external appearance over time. Even now, despite its new weathered life, she says the castle that once stood proud and strong has a new story that has evolved with the inhabitance of the forest creatures and the overwhelming and encroaching vegetation that has taken over the castle, breaking down its walls and absorbing everything in its path.

With an bottomless pool of inspiration, the Chateau de la Mothe-Chandeniers represents more than just a strong, historic, overturned structure. The abandoned castle represents environment; its walls the boundaries much like those we experience in life, but despite their relentless restrictions, the walls concede and crumble to make room for new life, new growth, new experiences and ‘creatures’ to move in and create a new world. Much like the way we as humans experience life.

“Each image in the collection, translates into my interpretation of the stages experienced in life and death, love and fear, and despair and hope,” says Lori.

For all of us, life is filled with the joys of birth, the grief of death, the pains of love and loneliness, the gains and losses of life. But for each of us, the emotions take us on a different journey with no two the ever the same.

“There are 17 images in total and each is about these very emotions; each is a discovery,” she says.

“I have experienced each of the emotions as I imagine many people have and can relate to.”

As a mother of three premature triplet sons who have tiptoed the line of death on many occasions (they’re big boys now about to turn 18 next month), Lori shares that she, like all mothers, still feels a wave of emotions including vulnerability.

“It still haunts me that one day I could lose them [my boys],” she says. “But it’s all out of my control—destiny plays its own tune.”

Locally based in the nation’s capital, Lori’s work often presents emotive narratives that encapsulate all that is dark and provoking, peaceful and beautiful, and all simultaneously. Proud of her Ghost Stories collection, it is the piece Whispering Magic that she calls her favourite.

“I start with the idea of love and how it has affected my life; the idea of it [love] being this emotion so powerful yet so pure and immature, it leaves my heart open to so much which has no boundaries,” Lori explains.

“It’s hard to put into words; it’s felt more in music. But my love is not only limited to [romantic] partnerships but [felt with] family and most importantly my children. They are the ones that will never limit my love to boundaries.”

Her work has received numerous industry awards and prizes both in Australia and abroad. This year alone, she was a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran Contemporary Photographic Portrait Prize and named ACT Emerging Photographer of the Year by the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.

But despite her accolades she says it takes more than just a camera to turn something from a thought into something tangible. Her inspiration was the chateau—yes—but the initial concept developed from an innocent conversation had at the beginning of the year with Rockstars and Royalty designer, Vicki Kidd-Gallichan while drawing designs for a collection. 

“I pictured my interpretation in my head pretty much immediately and developed the ideas for the images soon after,” Lori says.

“I brought together the team over three months (June to August) while I sourced props and designed sets for each concept.”

By the end of August, the finished work was Ghost Stories. But it was still yet to be put through the post-production process, final proofing and of course, printing. Says Lori, “It has been an epic eight months.”

“I would hope that people might relate to my images…and feel they might know a little more about me,” says Lori.

“I certainly learn something more about myself every time I open my life up in images.”

There is no order to the images of Ghost Stories with each independent of the next.  So explore them as you will; perhaps you may even read into it your own story and find something that resonates with you inside.

Presented by PhotoAccess, the exhibition will be opened by writer and curator Magda Keaney and will coincide with Andrea Pitsilos’ Travel Diaries and Liam James’ Dole/Dolour: An Allegory for the Fifth Corner of the World. Each year PhotoAccess selects two graduates from CIT for PhotoAccess emerging artist residencies with the intention to assist the selected photographers in the emerging stage of their careers and with limited exhibition experience while also helping to develop and present new work in Huw Davies Gallery exhibitions. Lori graduated from CIT in 2013 and is joined by fellow graduate, Andrea Pitsilos as recipients of the 2014 PhotoAccess Canberra Institute of Technology emerging artist residencies program. 

The essentials

What: Ghost Stories by Lori Cicchini

Where: Huw Davies Galler—Manuka Arts Centre, Manuka Circle, Griffith

When: Opening night 6pm Thursday 6 November; exhibition continues until Sunday 23 November (10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday & 12pm-4pm weekends)