Saturday Arvo in Ultimo

Jeff Carter is an icon in Australian photojournalism, with a long, productive career and a practice that often combine writing and photography. He began taking photographs at age 18 after leaving school and working as an itinerant fruit picker, fishing-hand and union organiser. Carter finally found work editing a magazine in 1949, before turning to freelancing in 1954, where he has been ever since. He has published nearly twenty books and produced photographs for every national magazine. Carter's photography catalogues of the traditional Australian experience - beaches, inner city tenements, drovers and the outback. His relationship to his subject is at the core of his diverse work, and he often lives with his subjects or makes multiple visits to gain a closer understanding. 'Saturday Arvo in Ultimo' demonstrates this intimate relationship resulting in charismatic images of inner city children. However the formal qualities of Carter's work should not be overlooked; his photographs are carefully structured, flat compositions that emphasise shape and line.