A touring exhibition of black and white images of Australian architecture, industry, landscape and people by Max Dupain is currently on display at the Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale, Victoria.
The Australian photographer is best known for his iconic beach photographs, cityscapes and landscapes but over the years he also used his camera to earn a living, working for Commonwealth government departments and companies such as CSR Limited.
The National Archives of Australia holds a large selection of the lesser known works.
Dupain’s industrial images are considered particularly striking. From the depiction of a storage area of stacked metals where his abstract technique has used the contrast of light and shadow to create visual patterns in close-ups to his architectural photographs.
Dupain worked closely with Jorn Utzon to document the creation of the Sydney Opera House.
According to National Archives,on commission, Dupain took thousands of photographs of the Sydney Opera House, revealing its construction from beginning to end. Later he described the completed building from a photographer’s perspective: ‘As the light moves across it during the day, it changes its form and shape… it’s full of moods… and photographically speaking, its form is fantastic’ (1986). Photograph: Max Dupain.
Dupain worked for three main agencies: the Department of Information in the 1940s, the Australian Broadcasting Commission in the 1950s and 1960s, and the Department of Trade in the 1960s and 1970s. Their photographic archives are now in the Archives, which were used to create the touring exhibition. View the tour schedule.
According to National Archives, not afraid of a challenge, Dupain would often accept mundane commissions. He later commented: ‘Discovering the aesthetic [in industry] is the photographer’s reward, not just the cheque he picks up at the end of the job’ (1981). Photograph: Max Dupain
Images: National Archives of Australia
