The Mitchelton Series by Susan Watson Knight and Trevor Mein.

In 2017 artist and equestrian Susan Knight and photographer Trevor Mein were commissioned by the Melbourne interior design firm Hecker Guthrie to create a series of works for the new Mitchelton Hotel in Nagambie.

Knight and Mein were asked to create images of two stallions standing at Swettenham Stud located a short distance from Mitchelton. The elegant grey racehorse Puissance De Lune and the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Amercain took centre stage.

Knight and Mein were keen to capture the striking beauty and power of these horses, focusing on their remarkable musculature and the varied marks and patterning on their dramatically contrasting coats. Some images were made as the horses were led in the public viewing area, but most were captured as the stallions were left to move freely in their stables.

‘One cannot help but admire the strength and athleticism of these horses however we were also keen to make images that were intentionally more intimate. We photographed the stallions in their stable area, observing them in a private space as a dramatic contrast to that of performance and public scrutiny.’

S.W. Knight 2017