One of Australia’s foremost photographers, Max Dupain’s geographic world had Sydney as its heart, its pulse radiating from the harbour, around Circular Quay, its streets, the many parks around the city and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He was fascinated with photographing from unusual angles and vantage points.
MAX DUPAIN (1911-1992)
SYDNEY TOWERS, CITYSCAPE
UNDATED
With a god’s eye view, Dupain’s photographs became intriguing and breathtaking, sometimes half-hidden by shadows but always mystified by distance. The moment to pull the shutter was always determined by the way in which the light fell. Dupain preferred the ‘raking light’ of early morning and late afternoon. Sometimes, with a compass he would watch a building and track the movement of the sun to predict when the light would be ‘just right’.
MAX DUPAIN (1911-1992)
AUSTRALIA SQUARE, SYDNEY DECEMBER 1969
ARCHITECT: HARRY SEIDLER
SCULPTOR: ALEXANDER CALDER
BUILDER: CIVIL AND CIVIC
In 1989, Dupain gave the RAIA over 1,000 photographs of Australian architecture covering a period of more than 50 years. He believed that the photographs should be in an architectural archive and that the RAIA was the rightful place. The photographs form the basis of an invaluable collection, and with buildings that have been demolished, a wonderful, and perhaps only, record of their existence. Some of those photographs are now exhibited here for the very first time.
IT’S ALL A MATTER OF FORM AND MOVEMENT
Dupain was a minimalist. His approach: ‘keep it simple’. His attitude to colour: black and white—’that’s where the depth is, the meat’…
EXHIBITION COORDINATOR AND CURATOR: Dr Zeny Edwards
RESEARCH: Anne Higham, Eric Sierins
An exhibition of Max Dupain photographs by the Australian Architecture Association from the archive of the Australian Institute of Architects (New South Wales Chapter)
http://www.sydneyarchitecturefestival.org/events?task=view_detail&agid;=53
