After enjoying the photographs in Northside by Melbourne photographer Warren Kirk, I was excited to see a new collection coming out in November this year. Christmas in Suburbia is a collection of festive photographs taken across Melbourne. As in Northside, Christmas in Suburbia raises feelings of nostalgia and is a unique celebration of urban Melbourne at Christmas time.
In this collection, suburban brick houses are festooned with well worn Christmas decorations slowly fading in the unforgivable heat of a Melbourne summer. The festive cheer of the residents and home owners is clear and I was excited to recognise a few of the Christmas decorations on display.
The appeal of these somewhat average Christmas decoration displays is hard to explain and reminds me of a page on social media dedicated to Shit Brick Fences of Melbourne. There's something endearing in the simplicity and the effort of proud homeowners to beautify their home for themselves and the enjoyment of those passing by. But there's also something riveting about witnessing the ravages of time on a property or a space.
These photographs are presented in this book as a series of postcards and I'm torn about whether I have the heart to pull out the postcards and send them in the mail. Recipients won't be able to appreciate the artwork as a whole and on their own, each individual postcard feels a little sad and satirical. The overall impression of the collection is lost. What would you do? Keep or post?
