Man Ray and Max Dupain

Heide Museum of Modern Art

We had a sneak preview yesterday of the  superbly curated and designed photography exhibition at Heide (Melbourne) of a large selection of photographs by Man Ray and Max Dupain.

The wall colours and dramatic M shapes and mirror use create a suitably magic environment  for works which sought a photographic expression outside of the idea of the medium as factual reportage.

There are loans from Australian and international collections as well as the Dupain estate. The Dupain prints are mostly vintage prints;  some very large, so the overall displays have lively shifts of scale and character.

This is a not to be missed exhibition for anyone with an interest in photography, surrealism — that the exotic way of seeing unleashed in the early part of the 20th century.

Despite some outlandish combinations of bodies, objects and ideas, surrealism stands up and remains alluring and stimulating.  A small group of works by  Lee MIller and Olive Cotton photographers respectively closely associated with Man Ray and Max Dupain are included.

It is also worth reading up about all the women models and sitters featured in the exhibition for their own rich histories.

Photography as a medium seems to involve a particular interaction and collaboration between photographer and those being photographed.

It was a pleasure to be one of the essay contributors to the  substantial catalogue.

Thanks to Heide staff and lenders but crucially an  enlightened local benefactor, this world class exhibition is  available in Australia.

An extra big thanks to the Heide artistic Director, Lesley Harding.  When you see an exhibition of this high calibre, you appreciate the intellectual and creative hands that brought it together.  And being a curator myself, how stimulating and exhausting these challenges are. Well done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Declaration of interest —  I wrote one of the essays for the beautifully produced catalogue.

 

The exhibition runs till 9th November 2025.

For more — click here.

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