Steps, or, Waiting and Watching

From the series 'Waiting and Watching'. Photo: Julie Clarke 2010

Over the past year and a half I've been taking photographs of the people of Melbourne. They are loosely divided into the following series: elderly people, teenagers, those who may be seen to have outsider status, apparent order, sleeping, festivals and rituals, portraits and the over-arching theme: Waiting and Watching. The group of people in the above photo had apparently decided to meet on a Sunday afternoon, sit on the steps of the Old Melbourne GPO and sketch what they saw in front of them. They were drawn together by their interest in, or background in art and their desire to be social. Some were drawing buildings opposite them in Bourke Street others were attempting to draw people shopping or waiting for a tram. The man (front left in the photo above) was drawing me as I was taking the photo. I love the fact that the people of Melbourne congregate on steps ~ they are often seen on the steps that surround two sides of the Old GPO, on the front steps of Flinders Street Station, those at St. Pauls Cathedral and of course on the many steps at Federation Square.