Born into an auteur/photog family in Melbourne, Australia, in 1957, Jon Rendell grew up surrounded by cameras and film. He honed his craft under renowned photographer Athol Shmith at what is now Swinburne University (Prahran Campus, Melbourne).
In the mid 60s Jon’s father gave him the family Kodak box Brownie. He was 8. In the 70s, 80s and 90s he progressed through a series of 35mm film cameras along with the associated traditional darkroom techniques. He began digital photography in 1999, and is now thoroughly ensconced in that medium and delights in all its possibilities.
Jon's current project is Wall & Ground: the 365-blog displays images concerning themes he calls, Wallscapes & Groundscapes.
Jon’s 2015 project, Is This Frisco?, was a photo-a-day blog showcasing the city in which he lives. His 2013 project was another photo a day blog, 25’ RADIUS. 25’ RADIUS referred to the size of his apartment. Each day of 2013 he published a photo taken from within the confines of his abode in an effort to push himself to find inspiration in unexplored compositions and natural light.
My job as a photographer is to help people see beauty in the everyday. My goal is to capture a visual poetry of line and shadow among unassuming subjects that exist everywhere, yet may be oblivious to many people.
My 2017 blog, Wall & Ground: displays images concerning themes I like to call, Wallscapes & Groundscapes.
My last project was a 365-day blog called Is This Frisco? The blog showcased San Francisco, the city in which I have lived for the past twenty years. Every day I posted a photo and brief text about one of my favorite or perhaps lesser-known parts of the city; San Francisco obscura.
The blog includes snippets of local history, as well as information about what inspired me to take the shot, or the particular technique employed to capture the image.
For this exhibit, I have chosen 40 photos from the Is This Frisco? series to share at Stanford Art Spaces.
My first major blog project was another photo-a-day called, 25’ RADIUS. Twenty-five foot radius referred to the size of my apartment. Each day of 2013 I published a photo taken from within the confines of my humble abode in an effort to push myself to find inspiration in unexplored compositions and natural light.
2015
40 photos from Is This Frisco?
Stanford Art Spaces, Stanford University
November 9, 2015 – January 8, 2016
California! Small Works—National Juried Exhibition, October 15 – November 14, PHOTO Gallery, Oakland, CA
Compassion is Universal Silent Auction for Shanti, Palace Hotel, San Francisco, Oct 14
19th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, October 9, City View, Metreon, San Francisco, CA
Shortlisted for One for the Books at Ballarat International Foto Biennale 2015, Australia.
Iconic Paris — Solo (traveling)
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
May 1 – August 1
Postcards from the Edge— A benefit for Visual AIDS hosted by Luhring Augustine Gallery, New York.
January 30 – February 2.
2014
Iconic Paris — Solo — 16 photographs (traveling)
Sofitel Brisbane Grand Central
July 1 – August 24
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
September 1 – October 5
Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach
October 8 – November 9
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
December 1 – January 30, 2015
Best of Botanicals— National Juried Exhibition, May 22–July 12, PHOTO Gallery, Oakland, CA.
18th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, September 19, City View, Metreon, San Francisco, CA
56th Annual Potrero Hill Artists’ Exhibition"Bending Over Backwards", May 3–July 31.
Small Art—Big Impact (Manhattan Arts International). An International Juried Online Exhibition December 18, 2013 – February 18, 2014. Jurors: James Bacchi, Edward Rubin and Renée Phillips.
2013
17th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, October 25, City View, Metreon, San Francisco, CA
Cover to Cover: A Survey of Artist Members' Photo Books, SF CameraworkJuly 10 – August 22.
55th Annual Potrero Hill Artists’ Exhibition, May 4 – July 6.
Consulat Général de France. Installation of
12 prints, 88 Kearney St, San Francisco. March 1– November 30.
2012
16th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, September 14, City View, Metreon, San Francisco, CA
2011
15th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, September 23, The Galleria (San Francisco Design Center), San Francisco, CA
2010
14th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, September 24, The Galleria (San Francisco Design Center), San Francisco, CA
2009
13th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, October 3, Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco, CA
2008
12th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, October 3, Herbst International Exhibition Hall, San Francisco, CA
Permanent installation of photographs of Italy La Firma Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia.
2007
11th Annual art for AIDS Auction, October 5, Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco, CA
2006
10th Annual Art for AIDS Auction, August 4, Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco, CA
Clouds and Landscapes, August 1-October 31, Café La, Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne Australia
1992
Matters of the Heart, 41 Gold Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
1989
Artists at the Mission, Mission Arts Centre, Port Melbourne, Australia
1988
Images of Fitzroy [Past & Present], Fitzroy Town Hall, 3rd prize, open color section, Melbourne, Australia
1987
Multiple Images, Roar Studios, Fitzroy (Reviewed by The Age art critic Gary Catalano, August 12, 1987)
PUBLICATIONS
2015
Scene 4 Magazine: San Fran Shadows October, Golden Gate Park and the de Young MuseumSeptember, The Four Seasons of Foggy Frisco July/August, Secrets of Dogpatch and Pier 70 June,Bascule Drawbridges of San Francisco May, Quirky San Francisco April, Postcards from New Mexico March, @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz February, Lake Merced, San Francisco January.
SFMOMA Submission Friday Day 67: Scaffold Patterns March 13, Day 51: Final SequenceFebruary 25, Day 41: Dormant February 13, Day 23: San Francisco Art Institute January 30.
365 photo-a-day blog,Is this Frisco? — San Francisco obscura
2014
SFMOMA Submission Friday Construction Workers, August 1, Ephemeral ThreesomeAugust 8, SFMOMA, September 26.
Scene 4 Magazine:
Homelessness in San Francisco January, Portrait February, Postcards from NOLA March, Gender in Still Life April, The Agave Up CloseMay, Lolita Lebron Funeral July, San Francisco Waterfront August, Postcards From Washington DC II September, Everywhere You Look October, Bike Rack Shadow Play in San Francisco November, Ocean Beach San Francisco December.
2013
365 photo-a-day blog, 25' RADIUS
Scene 4 Magazine:
A Few Drops of Mapplethorpe and a Tincture of O'Keeffe February, Postcards from the Cyclades March, Postcards from Puerto RicoApril, Dead Daffodils May, A Stroll Through San Francisco's Mission District June, Finding Beauty Within a 25' Radius July, Confessions of a Mask August, Light and Shadow September, Refractions October, Happy AnglerNovember, Looking at the Everyday for Inspiration December.
Light & Composition Magazine: Shadow, March 31.
Huffington Post: San Francisco, a Local's Perspective April 2.
Blog of artist Lisa Congdon, 24, April.
2012
Scene4 Magazine:
On the Waterfront March, San Francisco: Above, Below and In Between April, Flowers with Drama May, Food with Drama July, Killing Time Before the Show April, The Staircase July, Heading Toward Abstraction September, Postcards from Paris October, Postcards from Italy November, Postcards from Washington, DC December.
Architecture Week cover.
Global Yodel, May 23.
Light & Composition Magazine: The Hierloom Piece of the Building, November 8.
2011Light & Composition Magazine: Photo of the Day, February 17.
Light & Composition Magazine: Photo of the Day, February 26.
2008San Francisco Port Commission Calendar
Book: San Francisco On the Level. Humorous collection of photos of homes along some of San Francisco’s steepest streets.
1992–2007 Photographed art and architecture for the book, From Caves to Canvas — An Introduction to Western Art by Don Williams and Barbara Vance Wilson. [10 photographs, plus third edition cover design layout] 3 editions, 2 reprints.
1987
Photographed traveling theatre for Australian Bicentennial Authority
1987–1999
Photographed art and architecture for the book,In Our Own Image—The Story of Australian Art by Don Williams [50 photographs] 3 editions, 4 reprints
1979Photographed material for inclusion in The Australian Pottery Book by Harry Memmott, 2nd edition
1975
Monthly winner of statewide student photo competition run by The Age Newspaper.