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Epoch
Graham Howe 1970–1971
Undergraduate Years at Prahran College, Melbourne
Published 2025 (see details below)
An Introductory Review by Gael Newton AM, 31st March 2025
Recently I posted on the opening of The Basement (link below), the large survey show at the Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne (1st March to 25th May 2025). This exhibition featured the alumni from the early years 1968-81 of the photography course at Prahran College here in Melbourne.
In her opening address, Helen Ennis called for a clap from the audience for the role one of the alumni Graham Howe had played in his role as the inaugural Director of the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney from 1973-75. The early publications of the Centre featured a number of Prahran graduates. |
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It was Graham to whom I appealed for help when faced with my first experience hanging a photographic show in 1974 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; that is a story to be told elsewhere. An enduring friendship followed.
Since Graham’s departure from Australia in 1975 I have been able to follow his career with several visits to his business Curatorial Assistance, that he had established in a wonderful old building in Pasadena, California. Originally he converted the basement as a flat and later had an apartment at the back of the first floor. Eventually Curatorial Assistance took over the whole building with Graham decamping to an external apartment.
It has been from this busy hub that they have mounted and toured photographic shows and managed the E.O Hoppe, 20th century British modernist photographic archive. The business now has a London gallery. Graham is certainly my most spectacularly entrepreneurial and accomplished contemporary friend and a loyal supporter of all my own career developments.
I have to admit that when asked to contribute an essay for Graham's personal photobook Epoch: Graham Howe 1970-71, I had to refresh myself on the the work of his student days at Prahran. I first became aware of the work of the Prahran students when Graham had taken me round Melbourne to introduce me to his contemporaries and teachers.
What was fascinating in reviewing Graham’s very well organised array of images was to see the lyrical conceptual approach with a certain wit, that he would take as a mature photographer was already in evidence. He was always very serious about his work but allowed for a rather Australian ironic touch. I was much taken with the quality of the street photography in Epoch that Graham made of Melbourne protests and festivals and happy to see that aspect of his work featured prominently in The Basement show and catalogue.
Graham has a rather long history of fine art photography publishing ( see Wikipedia link below) including a monograph on his work called appropriately Sly Conspiracies. It is a rare thing for there to be a publication on a year in the life of an Australian 1970s photoboom era student. It is unique in that regard.
A delight to find included in the book was Graham’s own distilled and elegant texts on his time in Singapore and Melbourne that amplify the pictures. This direct voice gives an intimacy to the photobook that takes a reflection on one formative year but also reveals the times.
Graham and Curatorial Assistance are known for their quality well-designed publications. This new publication, Epoch, is as expected a beautiful photobook. It now forms part of the legacy of this era of Australian photography that itself deserves more research for us all to understand the breadth of artistic endeavours that have not been celebrated enough as part of the documented histories of recent Australian photography.
Here is Graham's own introduction to the book:
As a student in Melbourne during the vibrant 1970s, I found myself immersed in a world of creativity and transformation. This period was not just a backdrop; it was a catalyst for my artistic journey. Through my camera lens, I captured the essence of a city pulsating with cultural shifts, social movements, and personal discoveries.
This book is a tribute to that time - a reflection of my experience, the people I met, and the stories that unfolded around me. Each photograph serves as a snapshot of my growth as an artist and an individual. I wanted to share these images not only as a documentation of the past but also as a reminder of the power of observation and the importance of seeing the world through our own unique perspectives.
I hope readers feel a connection to this era and find inspiration in the raw, unfiltered moments that shaped my life. The 1970s in Melbourne was more than just a phase; it was a defining moment that continues to influence my work today.
My piece on 1970s photography - On the Edge, at the San Diego Art Museum 1995
Press Release
Graham Howe’s EPOCH
Melbourne, Australia – Acclaimed photographer, curator, and writer Graham Howe announces the release of his latest book, EPOCH, in conjunction with the exhibition The Basement: Photography from Prahran College (1968–1981) at the Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh). This landmark publication provides a deeply personal and historically significant look at a period that reshaped Australian photographic practice and education.
As an undergraduate art student at Prahran College from 1970 to 1971, Howe was part of a pioneering group of photographic artists, including Bill Henson, Carol Jerrems, Polly Borland, Robert Ashton, Philip Quirk, and Peter Leiss. Together, they helped define the creative revolution of Australia’s New Photography movement. Prahran College was the first institution in Australia to teach photography as an art form, leading an artistic shift toward an alternative photographic language—one that was candid, loosely structured, and deeply personal, departing from the polished aesthetics of commercial photography and traditional photojournalism.
EPOCH presents a collection of Howe’s early works, capturing the raw energy of youth culture, urban life, and countercultural expression at a time of profound social change.
“Graham’s photography during this period captured the look, feel, and sensations of Melbourne’s evolving cultural landscape. Graham’s photography during this period captured the look, feel, and sensations of Melbourne’s evolving cultural landscape” says Gael Newton, essayist for EPOCH and former Senior Curator of Australian and International Photography at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra,.
“The 1970s in Melbourne was more than just a phase; it was a defining moment that continues to influence my work today,” says Howe. “This book is a tribute to that time—a reflection of my experiences, the people I met, and the stories that unfolded around me.”
A selection of photographs in EPOCH includes self-portraits, intimate glimpses of everyday life, and moments of rebellion against societal norms. These images document Melbourne’s evolving cultural landscape and the tensions of an era marked by postwar freedoms and the looming shadow of military conscription for the Vietnam War.
Black-and-white photography, predominantly used at Prahran, played a crucial role in shaping the movement’s artistic identity. While commercial photography was shifting toward color, black and white remained the medium of choice for students and artists due to its interpretive qualities and strong association with fine art.
The Basement: Prahran College 1968–1981, the accompanying exhibition at MAPh, provides audiences with a rare opportunity to engage with this formative era through the work of its pioneers. The exhibition highlights the legacy of a generation that redefined Australian photography, paving the way for new forms of photographic art.
Contact Information
EPOCH: GRAHAM HOWE 1970–1971: Undergraduate Years at Prahran College, Melbourne, Hardcover Release Date: 15 March 2025, Author: Graham Howe, Essay by: Gael Newton, Format: 124 pages, 250 x 195mm, ISBN: 978-0-9707913-1-3, Publisher: Curatorial Books, 113 East Union Street, Pasadena, California 91103, USA
Price: A$50.00
Available through MAPh: https://maph.org.au/
For more information, review copies, or interview requests: Australia, Sarah Stewart, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Museum of Australian Photography, 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill, Victoria 3150, +61 3 8544 0500
USA, Marika Lundeberg, Curatorial, https://curatorial.com/ , +1 626-577-0044
More essays by Gael Newton
