Highlights from the MGA Collection, Melbourne

Published by ARTAND, 2015

From Charles Bayliss’ sepia coloured Blue Mountains from Blackheath (c.1880), to Max Dupain’s iconic Sunbaker (1937), to Pat Brassington’s uncanny, manipulated Twins (2001), ‘Highlights from the MGA Collection’ presents a thorough and expansive overview of the Australian photographic vernacular. The exhibition of 145 works coincides with the Monash Gallery of Art’s 25th Anniversary.

The collection was initially held in a residential home in Mount Waverley, however in 1990 it was moved to its current building in Wheelers Hill which was fittingly designed by the eminent Australian architect Harry Seidler. Whilst the collection began during the 1970s, the MGA has focused on the photographic medium exclusively over the past 25 years. It now holds over 2000 photographs and is the only collection dedicated entirely to Australian photography in the world. ‘Highlights from the MGA Collection’ is the largest display that the gallery has presented of its collection, and provides the opportunity to view the evolution of photography practices in Australia since the 19th century.

The exhibition features seminal works from various points of Australian history. The variety of black and white images of vast Australian landscapes, as well as Samuel Sweet, WH Smith and Fred Kruger’s prints of Aboriginal Australians, tell of the documentary approach of photographers during colonisation. The period of pictorialism is represented by works such as Olive Cotton’s Shasta daisies (1935) and Tea Cup Ballet (1935), whilst David Moore’s image of waving migrants arriving in Sydney in 1966 foreshadowed the era of cultural diversity that was to follow. The exhibition is also an opportunity to see feminist photographer Carol Jerrems’ iconic photographs Vale Street (1975) and Juliet holding ‘Vale Street’ at Murray Road (1976) in tandem.

The strength of the gallery’s contemporary art collection comes through with the exhibition of works by Australian photography heavyweights Bill Henson, Mike Parr, Tracey Moffatt, Fiona Foley and Patricia Piccinini.

Highlights from the MGA Collection
Monash Gallery of Art
9 May – 12 July 2-15