Toby Meagher, director of the Michael Reid Gallery Sydney has a wealth of experience in the field and believes that photographers have every reason to be optimistic. “COVID has presented an opportune time for galleries and artists alike. Our audience have spent all [of 2020] engaging with digital content with an intensity we have never seen before,” he says. The gallery, which also has a presence in Berlin, was established over 20 years ago and represents some of Australasia’s best-known contemporary artists. Meagher calls on photographers to seize the rare possibilities COVID has created. “The opportunities are there for the taking. Find ways to share your images; tell stories through social media platforms, or a compelling website. Your audience is captive. They are stuck at home and waiting to hear from you,” he says.
Tamara Dean, who’s represented by Michael Reid, still enjoys regular sales of her prints, despite the effects of the pandemic. “I used the social isolation like I would an artist residency. I was able to try out ideas that have been brewing in my imagination for years, build sets to use as backdrops, and get playful and experimental with my photography.” She adds that winning the 2020
