Author(s): Luci DI PAOLO

Travel Photography

"Fragile Black Heart is a collection of photographs and a short film about the people of Lighting Ridge, NSW.   Inspired by my late mother, Marisol Torres, a former resident of 'The Ridge' I embarked on a  personal journey to discover why the black opal lured my mother, just as it does so many others, to abandon the security and comforts of mainstream urban society for life in this harsh and remote mining town. After my mother's death in late 2005, she left her precious camp in Nebia Hill to me. I have spent two years from 2007 and  2008 interviewing and photographing the town and its people. This is my journey to understand my mother's passion for  'The Ridge', her fondness for its inhabitants, and her love affair with the mysterious black opal. The exhibition documents and celebrates the freedoms, cultures and characters. Each face tells a compelling story."