Edward Lawn
Moving Image
Artwork title: Unlocking the Past
This film explores the passing of time and the connection between the past and the present. It features two historic photos from my family’s collection. The first photo was taken at Fairy Bower, Manly in 1902 and the second photo was taken outside a house where my great-great-grandparents lived in North Sydney in 1915. Locating and documenting the sites where my ancestors once stood was a meaningful experience for me.
The concept behind the film is to document the passing of time over a century through a ‘then and now’ time travel study. Even though the people in the photos have passed away, the places where they stood are still there today. The visual and aural comparison highlights what has changed and what is still the same.
Edward Lawn is graduating with a Bachelor of Design. Edward did the Moving Image 1 course as a general elective earlier this year. While specialising in graphic design and user experience/interface design, he also has an interest in history, archives and curation. Combining these disciplines in a creative and engaging manner is his passion. He believes that there is great potential in using digital technologies to present archival material and tell stories. This is demonstrated in Edward’s short film ‘Unlocking the Past’ selected for the Media Arts Showcase.
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Acknowledgement of Country
UNSW School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.
We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
