Tim Page

2022

colour pencil on black paper

51 x 38 cm

I have had a copy of Tim Page’s Nam since the mid 1980s, and although I often marvelled at the quality and poignancy of the images, I never considered the person behind the lens. Over the years, I learnt more about Tim’s story and developed a greater appreciation of what the pursuit of those images had involved.

Hopeful for an opportunity to do a portrait of the renowned photo-journalist, I contacted Tim in early 2022. Tim was very generous and down-to-earth. He regaled me with stories of his travels and experiences, and I was amazed at the apparent serendipity of some of his encounters.

Whatever the medium, the hope is often the same, to convey a message and/or tell a story. Based on a photo taken by his partner Marianne “Mau” Harris, I like to think that this colour pencil portrait conveys something about Tim. There is a hint of the devil-may-care attitude with which he seemed to live his life. But there is also the sense that some of those adventures had left traumatic physical and mental scars.

I’m grateful that Tim got to see the portrait before he passed away on 24 August 2022.