An opinion piece about photography exhibitions, the visual arts, and things.
As the title of the exhibition indicates, this is a photography prize exhibition. Maybe a third of the works are not photographs but are contemporary artworks that either use photographic processes or at least have links to photography.
The full title for this exhibition is:
Searching for Sanctuary: A journey of survival by Barat Ali Batoor
Recently Gibson’s Auction in Melbourne (20th August 2024) held a successful auction of photographs, paintings and prints from the Julian Burnside & Kate Durham Collection. The result highlighted a disconnect between the management of Australia’s public art museums and the viewing and collecting public.
We were visiting the National Gallery of Victoria St Kilda Road when we split up with Gael heading for the paid exhibition of African fashion and I headed in the other direction to check on a couple of 17th century Dutch paintings. A few minutes later the phone tingled with a message that there was an exhibition of great photography within the fashion exhibition. Change of plan!
In my spare time , I have put together a collection of early 20th century photographs from Japan – click here to see the collection (for sale)
This piece was originally published in October 2022
The National Library is staging an exhibition of 125 documentary photographs, “Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now”. Continue reading photography at the National Library of Australia
This was published originally in August 2022
It was a recent photography exhibition by Catherine Rogers (closed 14th August) that brought home to me what a great space the ANU Drill Hall Gallery is.
A Great photograph can bring about a myriad of memories as well as pose more mundane questions such as why political movements fail.
Continue reading The disconnect between passionate Peter Dombrovskis and the ACT Greens
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now
National Library of Australia exhibition, Friday 16 September 2022 until Monday 13 March 2023 Entry is free, curated by Matthew Jones
a link to the NLA page on the exhibition – click here
a tour of the exhibition click here
the Rijksmuseum is presenting a major retrospective of 19th-century photography – click here
INFORMATION CALL-OUT: FRANK HURLEYSearching for Frank Hurley along our northern beaches
Did you know that Frank Hurley was a very keen gardener and photographer of wild flowers?
In April 2018 The Manly Art Gallery and Museum will be launching a very special exhibition titled: Frank Hurley – Sydney Harbour photographer: From Circular Quay to Collaroy.
click here for my review and comments on Tracey Moffatt’s exhibition at the 2017 Venice Biennale.
Here’s a few of the exhibitions in Canberra this month.
Exhibition of Regis Lansac’s photographs at Janet Clayton Gallery:
3-28 May 2017 – click here for more on the-ARTMUSEum.com
There’s an article in Straits Times about photographer Koh Kim Chay and his decades of photographing the ubiquitous government flats of Singapore.
This is an official white house photo (or at least a cropped version)
Nice online exhibition of photographs – from The Washington Post – click here.
Back in 1996, Philip Bentley, Melbourne historian, wrote a thesis on the history of the Melbourne photographers, Group M.
Martin Kantor Portrait Prize EntryApplications close: 31st May 2017
click on image for more….
George Bell (1920 – 2008) was member of Group M – in Melbourne.
This is an exhibition at photoaccess (Canberra) curated by Ashley Lumb and Laura McLean.
click on the image for the website – Women Photograph
A selection of photographs taken from one of Frank Hurley’s books…
Louise Grayson, Queensland University of Technology (this essay was originally published in The Conversation)
The photographer, Harold Cazneaux is an important early 20th Century artist in the history of Australia photography.
We recently heard of the death of a great Australian photographer. click on the image for more…
click on the image for the story about the exhibition of William Eggleston
click on the image for more…
Beauty In This is a wonderful photography exhibition, by Maryanne Voyazis, on for a short time at Nishi Gallery, New Acton.
Continue reading Photography at Nishi Gallery – Beauty In This
There’s something going in within photography – there’s something going within many of the centres and galleries devoted to photography.
There’s a wonderful exhibition at the NGA till 30th October 2016 – Diane Arbus: American portraits.
Here’s a couple of photographs from my recent visit to Auckland for the 2016 Auckland festival of photography.
Exhibition Review: Home, 2 June – 20 June 20162016 Auckland festival of photography – June 2016
The 2016 Auckland festival of photography like many Australian photographic festival is very dependent on the enthusiasms and the energy of a small band of people, or more often than not, just one person.
While we often celebrate wood and things made out of such ‘natural’ products – it is good to reminded just where that all that wood came from and wonder whether we will see such beauty again.
Click on the image for the link to the 2016 Auckland Photography Festival
click on the image for the new 2016 series, Stardust, by Anna Carey.
Click on the image to see the 2016 series by Michael Cook – Mother.
Photography is alive and very well –
click on the image for the story from the New York Times
While some people may enjoy the buzz of living within densely population metropolitan cities, there are definite benefits to being in Canberra and being able to head out into the country in a few minutes, rather than struggling down the crowded toll ways.
click on image for the link to the Daily Telegraph
Click on image for the exhibition details at China In The World (ANU)
click on image
Imprint – photography and the impressionable image.
Art Gallery of NSW till 18 May 2016
Open Call – Singapore International Photography Festival 2016 – click on graphic above
Helen Levitt at Laurence Miller
Reminder of this recommended exhibition at the NGA – click on the photo above.
Click on the image above for an article about the exhibition, New Zealand Photography Collected on at Te Papa in Wellington, NZ.
The Auckland Festival of photography – for news on exhibitions and more – click on the image.
A new exhibition about the Australian beach – this one contains paintings and a fine mix of photographs. (click on the image above for more images)
In amongst the many changes across the National Gallery of Australia has been the opening up of a new exhibition of photographs from their own collection.
Good news from Canada about photography – click on the image above
Opening 4th December 2015: The world is beautiful
Click on the image for the link to the gallery page for the artist – and for more, see this article
click on image for the story from ArtDaily
Click on image for story about people’s daily grind – and then for more – click here.
The fight to gain equity in the recognition of women in the art world just keeps on having to be repeated. The historical biases just do not go away.
But then along comes something that is really strange.
The MGA has announced Joseph McGlennon as the winner of the 2015 Bowness prize.
There’s an online video made before the announcement – Guardian Australian photo editor Jonny Weeks and photographer Mike Bowers discuss the entires and their picks for the winners. click here.
The extraordinary story of how photography was kick started through a French Government initiative – a gift to the world. Click on the image
National Museum of Women in the Arts exhibits work by photojournalist Esther Bubley – click on photo for information
Maybe it was left behind to collect any stray mail.
There needs to be more articles such as this one from The Guardian.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
In and Out of the Studio
Photographic Portraits from West Africa
August 31, 2015–January 3, 2016
Click image for link to the museum – or for ArtDaily – click here
It with great sadness that we heard that our friend Rose Farrell died recently. There’s a very good piece about Rose written by Robert Nelson — click here.
Click on image for Jeffrey Milstein’s photo essay on inequity in LA neighbourhoods
After taking up photography at fifty-eight, Julia Margaret Cameron produced a remarkable and distinctive body of work, writes Richard Johnstone (The Inside Story). Click here for Richard’s review of the exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales – click here for the gallery link.
A round up of current happenings in photography – via posts on Art Daily. Here’s the first:
Exhibition of botanical photographs by Karl Blossfeldt opens at Pinakothek der Moderne – click on the image
Loke Hong Seng at Yeo Workshops, Gillam Barracks Singapore till 6 Sept 2015
click on image for exhibition details
Is This a Photograph of Vincent Van Gogh? click on image for the story
Visiting and talking about photography exhibitions is very enjoyable. It is a fun thing to do. Occasionally when I have written about an exhibition that has even been a response.
The previous story on the Australian Centre for Photography relocating may have been inaccurate. We have heard that all options remain open on the table. The ACP is still looking at inner Sydney venues and that nothing has been decided yet.
Photography is alive and well in Los Angeles – click here for a review of an exhibition. And for a direct link to the gallery at the Hammer Museum and for more images of the works in the exhibition – click here.
30 Photographers in Asia – click on image
Hot Gossip: The ACP to move from Paddington and will be soon looking for a new Director.
The news being circulated around Sydney is that the ACP has made its decision to move from Paddington and to move to the western suburbs, to Parramatta. This will definitely require a change to the organisation and some of its programs.
This is a small exhibition of nine works has been produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of International Women’s Year (1975).
The current exhibition at ANCA in Dickson presents two photographic artists whose works have direct links back to the 1970s American colour photography represented by a host of artists including William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Helen Levitt and Joel Meyerowitz.
click on image for link to article by Richard Johnstone
a photo essay from early May – a foggy morning followed by a brilliant blue sky.
Paris Photo LA Preivew (click on the image)
There’s a new online review on the Art Gallery of NSW photography exhibition: The Photograph and Australia.
Kate Breakey at the Michener Art Museum
Click on images for more
Here’s a recommended exhibition for those with an interest in Australian hand coloured photography from the last couple of decades.
The Photograph and Australia, AGNSW till 8 June 2015
It is a good thing to read critical reviews of the visual arts. A variety of views is refreshing.
For anyone with an interest in photography, this exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has to be seen, and then seen again.
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) Exhibition open till 30 August 2015
at the Art Gallery of NSW, 25 April – 2 July 2015 – click on the image for more
This is a must see exhibition.
ANU Australian Centre on China in the World till 3 April 2015 
This is a highly recommended photography exhibition. It closes 3 April 2015.
Art Gallery of NSW – 21 March – 2 June 2015. click on image for more
There’s a new documentary on black photography in the USA.
A sad story indeed about the woman in the famous Steve McCurry/National Geographic photograph. The original photograph was a 1984 cover for National Geographic.
Sharbat Gula, the subject of the original photograph, is in trouble because she remains a refugee from Afghanistan, but was carrying a Pakistan identify card.
Please click on the image to the right for the link to the story.
