Two local photographers, Paul Jones and Chris Duczynski, have launched a new photographic exhibition at Wollongong Art Gallery.

Paul’s images capture whale hunting in Indonesia while Chris has photographed large ships entering Port Kembla harbour. So how do the two subjects connect? Well, says Thirroul local and University of Wollongong photojournalist Paul Jones, that’s a good question.

“Chris and I have exchanged photographic exhibition ideas for the past couple of years. I’ve been documenting a small village that hunts whales in a traditional manner in Indonesia, and Chris has been capturing images of giant ships entering Port Kembla harbour. So, I guess this exhibition connects large whales that come from the deep and industrial cargo ships that traverse the deep oceans.

“I like to think of it as anthropology meets technology,” says Paul, who has been a photojournalist for 28 years.

Northern suburbs locals will be familiar with Chris Duczynski’s work from articles in the Flame and his Instagram feed @malibumedia. But his latest series is a little different to his usual aerial shots of waves, sunrises and iconic surf breaks.

“For a couple of years, in between photographic jobs, I worked as a wharfie unloading cars, grain, cement and steel from ships at Port Kembla,” Chris says. “I was totally amazed at the ship’s stark industrial beauty. The monumental size of the rivets, the giant steel panels, even the massive anchors. So, I started documenting them. The images on display were taken at the port over a two-year period.”

Paul’s work evokes emotions through his series of black-and-white images exploring whale hunting today and the future of Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling, whilst Chris’s images showcase a colourful abstract view of the industrial giants we all take for granted.

This exhibition is a must for those interested in photography, cultural identity and our industrial environment, which is forever changing.

‘From the Deep’ is at Wollongong Art Gallery from February 3 to 28. Entry is free