Vale Ian Lobb

 I have received the sad and distressing news that my friend Ian Lobb had passed away on November 23, 2023....

This has been totally unexpected as Ian and I were having a coffee together only a matter of weeks ago, discussing a possible venture related to the photographs he was making of his favourite eucalypt in the grounds of the local church (The site of the Camera Obscura that he & David Tatnall had installed there in 2022)

David has kindly put some information on the View Camera Australia site about Ian...

Marcus Bunyon has also put a beautiful and fitting post on his ArtBlart blog...

Ian was an extraordinary influence in my life and in my development as a photographer, beginning in the early days of 'The Photographers' Gallery', where I had significant contact with Ian and attended workshops with Stephen Lojewski, Tom Carabasi, Ian Lob,  Les Walkling, William Clift & Harry Callahan...

The gallery was an energetic and exhilarating environment and was a vital meeting point and source of photographic education in Melbourne with exhibitions by some of the greatest photographic practitioners of the time.

I consider myself very privileged to have one of Ian's prints on my wall... 'Eagles Nest, Cape Paterson, 1975' ....

Eagles Nest, Cape Paterson   1975 

Here is an image from the Black Range series....

Untitled   1989 (From the Black Range Series)

It is quite prophetic that Ian and David Tatnall were at this site only a week before his death...

Here is an image taken of Ian contemplation the landscape, by David at that point in time ...

It was only a few weeks ago that Ian sent me images of his beloved tree that he had been photographing obsessively. We were in the beginning of discussions about how I might be able to assist in the production of some images for a project he had in mind, along with some advice on the production of a book of images..

These are 3 of the images he sent me...

Ian possessed a remarkable, enquiring and sensitive mind and the world is poorer without him. His depth of knowledge and love of the photographic image, the written word and music were well known by many. 

Vale Ian Lobb and may you find rest and peace.