John CATO

b. Australia, 1926; d. Australia 2011

Drift 1990

black and white silver gelatin photograph

1991.11

Gift of the artist, 1991

About the artist and their work:

John Cato was a distinguished Australian photographer and teacher. He started his career early as the son of Jack Cato, who was also a renowned portrait and theatre photographer. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he returned to Australia and worked at the Argus newspaper as a photojournalist and then as a commercial photographer. He was first an assistant and then later went into a business partnership with Athol Shmith. Cato was deeply moved after seeing the Museum of Modern Art photographic touring exhibition The Family of Man at the National Gallery of Victoria and was inspired by its humanist themes. In the 1960s, Cato began pursuing the artistic side of his photographic practice and focused solely on his artistic and teaching work in the early 1970s. In 1975 Cato began his teaching career at Prahran College of Advanced Education and later held the position of Department Head of Photography until his retirement in 1991. He was a passionate, generous teacher and was highly regarded by his students and peers.