WHO ARE YOU
Australian Portraiture
Free entry
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square
Level 3
25 Mar 22 – 21 Aug 22
WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture is the first exhibition to comprehensively bring together the rich portrait holdings of both the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, and the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. Revealing the artistic synergies and contrasts between the two institutions’ collections, this co-curated exhibition considers portraiture in Australia across time and media.
Through the examination of diverse and sometimes unconventional ways of representing likeness, WHO ARE YOU will question what actually constitutes portraiture – historically, today and into the future. Examples of some of the more abstract notions of portraits in the exhibition include John Nixon’s Self-portrait, (1990), and Boris Cipusev’s typographic portrait of Jeff from The Wiggles, titled Jeff the wiggle, 2009–2013. Polixeni Papapetrou’s Magma man, 2013, a photograph that merges sitter and landscape until the two are almost indecipherable, and Shirley Purdie’s multi-panelled evocation of biography and Country, Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe, 2018, further challenge the conventions of the genre and touch upon the intimate connection between artist, sitter and land. NGV Collection highlights include new acquisitions: Kaylene Whiskey’s Seven Sisters Song, 2021 – a playful take on portraiture by a living artist and Joy Hester’s Pauline McCarthy,1945, a rare example of Hester producing a portrait in oil.
WHO ARE YOU is the largest exhibition of Australian portraiture ever mounted by either the NGV or NPG, and is the first time the two galleries have worked collaboratively on such a large-scale project.
Select works
Kaylene Whiskey
Seven Sisters Song 2021
enamel paint on road sign
120.0 x 180.0 cm irreg.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2021
2021.549
© Kaylene Whiskey. Courtesy of the artist, Iwantja Arts and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Nora HEYSEN
Australia 1911–2003, lived in England
and Italy 1934–37
Self portrait 1934
oil on canvas
43.1 x 36.3 cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Purchased 1999 (1999.50)
© Lou Klepac
Howard ARKLEY
Australia 1951–99
Nick Cave 1999
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
175.2 x 135.2 x 4.3 cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Commissioned with funds provided
by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 1999
(1999.16)
© Estate of Howard Arkley. Licensed by Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art
Karla DICKENS
Wiradjuri born 1967
Mrs Woods and ‘Ere (2013)
inkjet print on paper, ed. 3/10
66.0 x 100.0 cm (image);
76.5 x 110.0 cm (sheet)
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Purchased 2019 (2019.1)
© Karla Dickens/Copyright Agency, 2022
Michael RILEY
Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi 1960–2004
Maria (1986), printed (2013)
from the Michael Riley Portraits
1984–1990 series
inkjet print on paper
39.1 x 40.9 cm (image)
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.
Purchased 2013 (2013.50.3)
© Michael Alan Riley/Copyright Agency, 2022
UNKNOWN
Fanny Jane Marlay (c. 1841)
watercolour on ivory
(4.6 x 3.5 cm)
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Purchased 2013 (2013.24.2)
National Portrait Gallery
Samuel METFORD
England 1810–90, lived in United States
1834–44
MacKenzie family silhouette 1846
brush and ink, pen and ink, stencil
cutout with watercolour highlights
on paper
43.2 x 64.0. cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Gift of the Estate of Nancy Wiseman
2007 (2007.36)
National Portrait Gallery
Lloyd REES
Portrait of some rocks 1948
oil on canvas
76.6 x 102.0 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1948
1928-4
© Lloyd Rees/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
John NIXON
Self Portrait (non-objective composition) (yellow cross) (1990)
enamel paint on plywood
177.6 x 165.0 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Chase Manhattan Overseas Corporation, Fellow, 1991
A11-1991
© Courtesy of the artist
Atong ATEM
Adut (2015); (2019) {printed}
from the Studio series 2015
digital type C print
59.4 x 84.1 cm (image) 63.6 x 92.7 cm (sheet)
ed. 3/10
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2019
2019.832
© Atong Atem, courtesy Mars Gallery, Melbourne
Anne ZAHALKA
The surfers (1989)
type C photograph
76.4 x 92.5 cm (image)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1991
PH173-1991
© Anne Zahalka/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
Max MARTIN
Portrait group 1922
oil on canvas
152.8 x 102.2 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE, Honorary Life Benefactor, 1995
1995.564
© Veronica Martin
Rona Panangka Rubuntja
I'm black (Nicky Winmar), covered vase 2015
earthenware
(a-b) 53.1 x 24.8 cm diameter (overall)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2015
2015.448.a-b
© Rona Panangka Rubuntja/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
EDWARD SCHAFER & CO., Melbourne (retailer)
Belt buckle (c. 1900)
15 ct gold, garnets, enamel
(a-b) 6.2 x 8.3 x 1.8 cm (overall)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
The Altmann Collection of Australian Silver. Presented through The Art Foundation of Victoria by John and Jan Altmann, Founder Benefactors, 1986
D19.a-b-1986
Trevor Turbo Brown
Self-portrait, 'I am the Dingo Spirit' 2015
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
122.3 x 102.2 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Vince Sinni in memory of Trevor Turbo Brown through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2018
2018.739
© the artist's estate
Peter DREW
Monga Khan 1916 2016; 2019 {printed}
from the Aussie series 2016
brush and ink on screenprint
114.5 x 80.5 cm (image) 117.5 x 83.5 cm (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Supporters of Prints and Drawings, 2020
2020.185
© Peter Drew
Brook ANDREW
Australia born 1970
Trent Walter (printer)
Australia born 1980
Marcia Langton 2009
screenprint on paper
252.0 x 242.0 x 7.1 cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Commissioned with funds provided by
Marilyn Darling AC 2009 (2009.162.1.a-o)
© Brook Andrew/Copyright Agency, 2022
Brenda L. CROFT
Gurindji/ Malngin/ Mudburra /
Anglo-Australian born 1964
Prue HAZELGROVE (wet plate collodion
process technical assistant)
Richard CRAMPTON (printer)
Matilda (Ngambri) 2020
from the "Naabami (Thou shall/will see):
I am/we are Barangaroo" series
inkjet print (from original tintype, wet
plate collodion process) on archival
paper, ed. 4/5 + 3 A/P
119.7 x 90.9 cm (image);
140.3 x 99.9 cm (sheet)
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Purchased with funds provided by
The Calvert-Jones Foundation 2020
(2020.30
© Brenda L. Croft/Copyright Agency, 2022
Adelaide PERRY
Australia 1891–1973
Rachel Roxburgh 1939
oil on canvas
61.0 x 51.0 cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Purchased 2018 (2018.4)
© Estate of Adelaide Perry
William YANG
Self Portrait #2 (2007)
from the Self Portrait series
inkjet print
(84.0 x 50.0 cm) (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Ms Cora Trevarthen and Professor Andrew Reeves, 2013
2013.104
© William Yang
Joy HESTER
Pauline McCarthy (1945)
oil on cardboard
45.7 x 26.0 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
June Sherwood Bequest, 2021
2021.275
© Joy Hester Estate/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
William FRATER
The artist's wife 1915
oil on canvas on plywood
47.0 x 32.9 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
The Joseph Brown Collection. Presented through the NGV Foundation by Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE, Honorary Life Benefactor, 2004
2004.175
© Courtesy of the artist's estate
Vincent Namatjira
Australia in black and white 2018
brush and ink, brush and white ink, pencil on paper
(a-p) 255.5 x 184.3 cm (framed) (overall)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2019
2019.853.a-p
© Vincent Namatjira/Copyright Agency, Australia
Ola COHN
Lina (1958)
earthenware
34.4 x 14.9 x 21.0 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Mrs Lina Bryans, 1969
85-6
© Centre for Adult Education & Box Hill Institute
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