Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin is in his final semester of a Bachelor of Design at Swinburne, majoring in Photomedia. He wishes to complete further study to become a secondary teacher and teach design and photography. He found his passion for photography when he borrowed his mum’s camera in Year 10. From there he saved up for his own camera and began experimenting and being creative. Through his time at Swinburne, Jonathan has learnt new photography skills, especially with lighting and studio photography. These skills have been demonstrated through his folio work and implemented in photography work outside of university.

Jonathan’s final project is focused on some men who he cooks for at Servants, a community housing where he works. These men have become his friends that he sees weekly, and felt a need to share their stories. The project is called ‘Stories from the hands that made them’. It shows the stories of these men through film street photography, but also through portraits of their hands. Jonathan found this project became more personal than he expected, as he interviewed them about their life before moving to Servants, and how Servants has helped them fix and help their lives. He has made this project for Servants and will be giving them a copy of the photobook for them to keep.

Stories from the hands that made them

‘Stories from the hands that made them’ is part of my Capstone for Photomedia. It explores the stories of men who have faced homelessness. Their stories are shown through the scars and marks that cover their hands. This project sheds a positive light on homelessness as their hands find purpose and healing, through Servants Community Housing.

Stories from the hands that made them

Paul

Stories from the hands that made them

Carl

Stories from the hands that made them

Richard

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.