A GREAT explorer by the name of James embarked on a journey of discovery and travelled the world. A crusader and keen inventor, he now resides in the Manning Valley, a place he considers the true Eden of the globe.
Jim Frazier lives in Bootawa outlying Wingham where he and his wife have built a beautiful garden. They have recorded 150 species of birds visiting and 60 nests.
Jim says the Manning Valley should be called the “Eden Valley,” quite an accolade for the area from a man who has travelled the world and filmed in spectacular sceneries.
Jim Frazier’s career boasts many accomplishments making him renowned on an international stage. He has won an Emmy and an Oscar for his camera work on a range of nature films. He is also the mastermind behind an ingenious camera lens that provides amazing depth of field with the ability to have both the foreground and background in focus.
His documentary-making career began more than 30 years- ago when he and Densey Clyne formed a partnership known as Mantis Wildlife Films.
Their films attracted the attention of the BBC and in turn, the attention of famed wildlife documentary maker, David Attenborough, though at the time, back in the 70s, Jim hardly knew who David Attenborough was.
Jim’s true passion is in wildlife. This grew at a young age under the guise of his father who was an entomologist who collected butterflies. Jim would spend countless hours in the bush with his father, learning about the intricate balance of animals and plants in the natural world.
He developed a true empathy with animals and honed the ability to predict the next movement of a creature, moments before it happens. His in-depth knowledge of the animal kingdom and brilliant camera skills resulted in Jim capturing some of the most stunning moments ever on film. He and Densey contributed an amazing 55 minutes of footage to the documentary ‘Life on Earth’.
As hard as it is believe Jim is currently working on one of his biggest global environmental projects anyone has ever embarked on, “Symphony of the Earth”. So big, he is in the midst of securing millions to launch the project from its planning stages. Always an inventor at heart, Jim’s latest quest has been eight years in the planning.
Jim aims to create a new genre of music, using sounds from the natural animal world. He then intends to combine the world’s most influential people to influence the masses - not politicians, but entertainers who will disperse a message through meaningful song lyrics.
“All sounds in a symphony like percussion, strings, woodwind and brass can be found in the natural world,” Jim said.
This was first realised, when camping in a clearing in the jungle, he swore he could hear a trumpet being played. In fact, the sound came from a cicada living in the habitat.
A message of sustainability will be spread globally through entertainers singing lyrics to the symphony. Symphony of the Earth will be presented as a feature film aiming to give the earth a voice, harnessing the whole power and influence of the entertainment industry.
Through Jim’s extensive travel around the globe filming wildlife, he became greatly concerned about the mass environmental destruction by humans. Predictions he made 30 years ago have come to fruition during his career. He warns there is only a matter of time before the damage to the earth’s environment will be irreversible. The monumental film will appeal to all cultures and speak a global language, to combat an issue that is truly worldwide.
His current obsession, crystal artworks, already are featured in private collections around the world including those of Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton.
An exhibition titled “Jim’s Obsession: Crystal Art in the Making” currently at Manning Regional Art Gallery includes 40 artworks that have been developed through the growth and manipulation of crystals on glass plates. The crystals are shaped with the use of sound tones, energy fields and heat to make brilliant compositions and captured by special photographic techniques.
Saturday January 28 at 2pm at the gallery Jim will talk about his obsession with his unique art form and will answer questions from the audience.
Entry to the talk at the art gallery will be a $5 donation for adults with children free. Light refreshments will be supplied.
The exhibition will conclude on Sunday January 29, and an exhibition in Singapore is being planned for April/May this year.
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