Artist Talk: Brett Stanley & Megan Dunn

Join us for an in-conversation with acclaimed underwater photographer Brett Stanley and The Mermaid Chronicles 2.0 Curator + Mermaid enthusiast, Megan Dunn.

-2pm, Sunday, 3rd December 2023
-Free/koha entry
-Light refreshments will be served after the talk

Brett Stanley is an Australian-born underwater photographer & cinematographer based in Los Angeles, California.

Brett is renowned for his creative underwater portrait work and has made a name for himself as an innovative photographer pushing the boundaries of this niche genre. He specialises in creating unique underwater sets for his clients to play in, stretching the imaginations of his viewers, and challenging the technology available to bring these worlds to life – even to the point of manufacturing his own equipment to complete the task. His images have been seen and published worldwide, in magazines and album covers, and even a few awards.

As an underwater performance coach, Brett knows how to get the best out of people when they are in the water – even those who have never performed below the surface before, and those who might not know how to swim! His patient and calm nature helps to bring peace to the set, creating an environment where the work is not rushed but polished.

Whilst Brett is known for his photographs, he works just as well as a cinematographer – bringing his creative eye and smooth sweeping motions to the moving picture. He is comfortable on any size project and is more than happy to lead the creative or to be a part of the team – it’s all part of creating something amazing!

Megan Dunn is a writer, curator, and cultural critic currently working on her third book which is about Mermaids. She is the author of 'Tinderbox' and 'Things I Learned at Art School'. Megan curated the exhibition The Mermaid Chronicles 2.0 for Tauranga Art Gallery (which includes Brett Stanley's incredible photography!) following The Mermaid Chronicles which was first presented at Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery in Wellington.