Andy Thomas 2002
by Montalbetti and Campbell (b.1957 and b.1958)
digital print
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned with funds provided by
L Gordon Darling AO CMG 2002

Andrew Thomas AO (b. 1951) is Australia’s only astronaut. An engineer by profession, he managed a number of aeronautical programs and patented several inventions before joining NASA in 1992. He made his first space flight on the shuttle Endeavour in 1996, and in 2001 he became the first Australian citizen to perform a space walk. Thomas has gained a great variety of honours and awards. In the last few years these have included the NASA Exceptional Service Medal; the Yuri Gagarin Medal; the Order of Friendship from Russia and Kazakhstan; the award for Engineer of the Year from the Australian Institute of Engineers; and South Australian of the Year.

Montalbetti and Campbell are advertising and fashion photographers who specialise in portraiture. They worked in Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and are now based in the USA. Having received the commission and conceived the idea for this portrait of Thomas, they made a special trip to Houston to photograph him, as NASA does not allow space suits to be taken away from their storage facility.

Gay Campbell of photographic team, Montalbetti + Campbell answers questions from Magda Keaney, the Gallery’s Assistant Curator.

MK: What was the process after you accepted the commission? Did you read up on Thomas, contact him, and then think of some ideas to represent him and his achievement?

M+C: Yes, that was precisely the process. We researched Andy Thomas and his career, and focused on creating an image that supported our vision of him. The NASA website supplied a great deal of interesting material as well as images of Andy at work in the space station. Once we saw his fair Aussie looks and the bright red orange of the launch entry suits, we knew we wanted to create an image in colour! We discussed what format to photograph in, what type of lighting and backdrop we wanted, as well as finding someone to create the background star. After coming up with an image that we knew we could create no matter what circumstance we were presented with at NASA, we contacted Andy by phone. He directed us to the relevant and very accommodating staff at the Houston base so we could fit the portrait session into Andy's hectic schedule.

MK: I'm presuming that the way you've represented him is an extension of the heroic poses NASA uses in their official photography (holding the helmet under one arm, looking stoically into the distance). Maybe you were even thinking of the 1950s and 60s when astronauts were seen as explorers of space..."the final frontier". Any comments?

M+C: It was not our intention to reflect NASA’s official photography. We use body language and visualisation when working with people on the other side of the camera. We want our subjects to embody what they feel, so when we suggest feelings of “pride, heroism, strength and courage”, it inevitably comes through in the photograph. We wanted a heroic image.

MK: This portrait is quite different from other M+C portraits in the Gallery’s collection: Rush, Murcutt, even Freeman where there is an amazing outward determination there is also a sense of interiority. Even thinking of the Miranda Otto series from the "Glossy" exhibition there is an outpouring of emotion and a stillness and inward reflection. Not so with Thomas. Also with the inclusion of the star and the deep red, white and blue there is a reference to patriotism and maybe a link between the role of the astronaut (Thomas) as a sense of national pride for Americans. Any comment?

M+C: We wanted to create an image with immediacy - to bring an image of Andy Thomas to the Australian public that would spark the interest, pride and wonder we felt about him (how many of us have the courage and focus to accomplish what this man has?!). The link with the red, white and blue was for Australia. The star gave us the immediate reference to space. The streaky blue background represents the earth from space in an abstract way. As soon as you look at the image you know this person is an astronaut. The accomplishments of these men and women go far beyond the boundaries of nations.

MK: How do you work together?

M+C: We are adamant our photography is a team effort. We work in tandem, never one without the other. We control our projects “hands on” from beginning to end. We swap turns photographing during a shoot as we each initiate different responses from our subjects. We edit together. Gay is responsible for the postproduction of the imagery, the final “look” whether it is in the darkroom or on the computer. The final image is approved by both of us. We have been working in this fashion for 19 years.

MK: Technically can you explain the photographic process - is it a standard type C print, digitally manipulated?

M+C: The image is digitally captured with a medium format camera. The digital image is then manipulated in PhotoShop (PhotoShop has replaced the colour darkroom in this instance) and the digital files are laser exposed onto colour photographic paper (a standard C type print) and processed in the traditional manner. We like the super glossy polyester-based paper for saturated colour imagery. Over the past two years we have been gradually re-introducing colour into our work by way of digital capture, for 14 years prior to this we worked almost exclusively in manipulated black + white. Digital has given us back the opportunity to explore colour in our photography, we can manipulate the colour to reflect our style. We began using the computer to mimic our black + white printing style, but once we discovered what we could do with colour, that was it!

MK: Are there any stories from the shoot, how did it all go?

M+C: We are always anxious before a shoot about how much time and cooperation our subject will share with us. Andy Thomas was a very gracious and enthusiastic subject. The beauty of digital capture is that we can walk away from the session knowing we’ve got the shot. Funnily enough we can thank NASA for a lot of the technology we enjoy in photography today!

July 2002