Siri HAYES
born Australia 1977 courtesy of the artist Bozo/Sanja II 2008 from the series Transition chromogenic print 32.0 x 31.85 cm Diggidy/Dave I 2008 from the series Transition chromogenic print 32.0 x 31.85 cm Digit/Paul IV 2008 from the series Transition chromogenic print 32.0 x 31.85 cm Monty/Sally III 2008 from the series Transition chromogenic print 32.0 x 31.85 cm
MAKE UP: painted faces in contemporary photography For photographers interested in exploring the nature of personal identity, the painted face has become an important subject in recent art practice. This exhibition surveys a range of photographic projects that have used face-painting to examine conventions of photographic portraiture and explore its potential for developing new approaches to identity in the contemporary world. Traditionally, photographic portraiture has served a range of functions, many of which assume an essential relationship between photography and the identity of the sitter. For example, photography has often been used as a tool for stereotyping individuals. From biometric documentation of indigenous people and physiognomic studies of criminals, through to passport photographs and professional headshots, photographic portraiture has been used to establish, fix and caricature identity. On the other hand, photographic subjects have often enacted or manufactured identity specifically for the camera. Many nineteenthcentury sitters for studio portraits understood that their dress, pose and setting could establish impressions of class, status or gender. Having your portrait taken was highly fashionable, and the photographic portrait could engender aspirations of social mobility. This imaginative approach to posing for the camera has continued to the current day. That is, there has always existed an aspect of role-play in photographic portraiture.
MONASH GALLERY OF ART 860 Ferntree Gully Rd Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 T: +61 3 8544 0500 E: mga@monash.vic.gov.au W: www.mga.org.au Tues to Fri: 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 12–5pm closed: Mondays and public holidays
The difference between the two polarities suggested here could be thought of in terms of who controls the image: the sitter or the photographer. But the meaning of any portrait is also a product of conventions and contexts that the subject and photographer cannot fully control or anticipate. In this respect the face of portraiture is always contested territory, and the ephemeral and fluid quality of make-up is a particularly useful trope for exploring this notion. As many of the portraits in this exhibition demonstrate, contemporary identity is not the immutable essence of an individual, but nor is it something that can simply be enacted at will. Instead, identity is constantly being negotiated and contested at the inter-face between the subject and the social.
MaKe UP
painted faces in contemporary photography
Eric Bridgeman Bindi Cole Ray Cook Sandy Edwards Siri Hayes Owen Leong Darren Sylvester Nat Thomas & Concettina Inserra Christian Thompson Justene Williams 4 May–30 June 2013
LIST OF WORKS all works are the collection of the artists unless stated otherwise
Nat THOMAS
born Australia 1967
Concettina INSERRA
born Australia 1966 all works courtesy of the artist The family, Sunday afternoon 2009 from the series After Mirka 2008-09 chromogenic print, printed 2013 75.0 x 112.0 cm Mothers and daughters 2008 from the series After Mirka 2008-09 chromogenic print, printed 2013 74.5 x 111.5 cm Portrait of mother and daughter 2008 from the series After Mirka 2008-09 chromogenic print 75.5 x 112.0 cm
Eric BRIDGEMAN
born Australia 1986 all works courtesy of the artist and Gallerysmith (Melbourne) Black beauty 2010 from the series New photographs from Kokwara Trail ink-jet print 99.9 x 121.9 cm Woman from settlement with boobs 2010 from the series New photographs from Kokwara Trail ink-jet print 121.8 x 99.9 cm Young Simbu boy 2010 from the series New photographs from Kokwara Trail ink-jet print 121.8 x 99.9 cm
Bindi COLE
born Australia 1975 Wathaurung people all works courtesy of the artist and Nellie Castan Gallery (Melbourne) Gnung Ok 2008 from the series Not really Aboriginal ink-jet print 150.0 x 125.0 cm collection of the artist Tarri Wil 2008 from the series Not really Aboriginal ink-jet print 150.0 x 125.0 cm collection of the artist Wathaurung mob 2008 from the series Not really Aboriginal ink-jet print 125.0 x 150.0 cm Horsham Regional Art Gallery Collection
Sandy EDWARDS
born Australia 1948 all works courtesy of the artist and Stills Gallery (Sydney) Alastair, blue boy 2, Clifton Hill 1999 chromogenic print 75.0 x 51.0 cm Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection acquired 2005 MGA 2005.06 Alastair, blue boy 3, Clifton Hill 1999 chromogenic print 75.0 x 51.0 cm Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection acquired 2005 MGA 2005.07
Ray COOK
born Australia 1962 all works courtesy of the artist For God’s sake, somebody throw a pie 2006 from the series Oblivion 2005–08 gelatin silver print, hand-coloured with heavy metal toner 38.5 x 31.0 cm Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection acquired 2008 MGA 2008.210 Don’t worry, we’ll fix it 2007 from the series Oblivion 2005–08 gelatin silver print, handcoloured with heavy metal toner 37.2 x 30.0 cm Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection acquired 2008 MGA 2008.212
Owen LEONG
born Australia 1979 all works courtesy the artist and Dianne Tanzer Gallery + Projects (Melbourne) Akira 2012 from the series Tidal skin pigment ink-jet print on cotton paper 80.0 x 80.0 cm Hisae 2012 from the series Tidal skin pigment ink-jet print on cotton paper 80.0 x 80.0 cm Yasu 2012 from the series Tidal skin pigment ink-jet print on cotton paper 80.0 x 80.0 cm Ray 2010 from the series Birthmark pigment ink-jet print on cotton paper 70.0 x 70.0 cm) Chi 2010 from the series Birthmark pigment ink-jet print on cotton paper 70.0 x 70.0 cm
Darren SYLVESTER
born Australia 1974 all works courtesy of the artist and Sullivan & Strumpf (Sydney) #3 2010 from the series What happens will happen chromogenic print 120.0 x 90.0 cm collection of the artist courtesy of the artist and Sullivan & Strumpf (Sydney) #2 2010 from the series What happens will happen chromogenic print 120.0 x 90.0 cm #5 2010 from the series What happens will happen chromogenic print 120.0 x 90.0 cm #4 2010 from the series What happens will happen chromogenic print 120.0 x 90.0 cm
Christian THOMPSON
born Australia 1978 Bidjara man of the Kunja Nation all works courtesy of the artist and Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi (Melbourne) The Devil made him do it 2011 from the series Native’s instinct chromogenic print 100.0 x 100.0 cm Howl your troubles 2011 from the series Native’s instinct chromogenic print 100.0 x 100.0 cm
Justene WILLIAMS
born Australia 1970 all works courtesy of the artist and Sarah Cottier Gallery (Sydney) Untitled 1995 from the series Bunny boy chromogenic print 75.0 x 50.0 cm collection of Ricardo Camarate Silveir Untitled 1995 from the series Bunny boy chromogenic print 75.0 x 50.0 cm collection of Ricardo Camarate Silveira Untitled 1995 from the series Bunny boy chromogenic print 75.0 x 50.0 cm collection of Mikala Dwyer