– WELCOME TO –
MAX DUPAIN
EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPHY
THE ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHY OF MAX DUPAIN OBE
Max Dupain was Australia’s most respected and influential black & white photographer of the 20th century. His images capture a long gone era in which Australian society was vastly different from what it is now. With his modernist and documentary orientation to photography, his images demonstrate Dupain’s mastership of light and form.
Dupain was considered the pioneer of modernism in Australian photography, an approach that departed from the sentimentality of soft focused, nostalgic imagery to the simplified world of light contrasts, sharp focus, varying angles and creative compositions.
The collection displayed in the on-line gallery represents this style, as well as compositions consistent with his philosophy towards photography. This generally led him to capture the subject in an abstracting, direct, almost symbolic way through lighting, viewpoint, and “after-treatment” during the chemical printing process.
His works are hung in many major galleries including the National Gallery of Australia,. The images found in the galleries in this website are available as digital fine art prints, and to a lesser extent, Limited Edition hand prints made from the original negatives made by Dupain. There are many more of Max’s iconic images, from the exhibition archives, that are not displayed here. Enjoy browsing the galleries and appreciate the creative brilliance and skills of one of Australia’s artistic icons.
Images from the Archive
A selection of images that have never or rarely been displayed in public. A diverse range of genres from still life to fashion, these images demonstrate Dupain’s subject interests beyond his primary focus of commercial and architectural photography he was primarily known for from the 1950s onwards.
Sunbaker 1938 & Reclining nude 1936 – Two classic images of male & female forms
The Sunbaker is Dupain’s most well-known portrait and probably Australia’s most iconic image. It was likely taken in early January 1938 during a camping trip at Culburra Beach on the NSW South Coast. The appeal of the image is in its simplicity, the austerity of the harsh light and surrounds, and the sensual stillness of the male form. The trianguar shape of the arms and shoulders, along with the sensual curves of the profile and the water droplets on the models skin give the Sunbaker its enduring appeal.
The Reclining Nude 1936 was taken during Dupain’s experimental period of the 1930s, which included a diverse range of nude portraits in studio and outdoors. Typical of his approach of simplicity was the use of a single light positioned in a way to emphasise the form with highlighted and shadowed areas. This approach captures the beauty of the model’s gentle curves and poise.
– MAX DUPAIN GALLERY COLLECTIONS –
Dupain’s photographic work covered two broad areas, commercial assignments through his Max Dupain & Associates studio, and his personal photography conducted in his spare time. It is the latter body of work that he bequeathed to his longtime studio manager, Jill White, of which a small fraction of the 28,000 negatives are available here.
All the images in the following galleries, except the Vintage and Exhibition galleries, are available as fine art prints although a very limited range are also available as hand printed Limited Edition prints as well as prints made by Max Dupain. If you are after a Dupain image (not a commercial image) and it is not in the following galleries, we can access the archive to search for it. Enjoy the galleries!
“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates…were it not for the shadows, there would be no beauty” – Junichiro Tanizaki, 1933 – In Praise of Shadows
– Special Offers –
If you are looking for an affordable gift then please head to the Specials page for a wide range of print formats – fine art digital, Limited edition hand prints, posters, mounted digital prints, small un-editioned hand prints and framed prints.
https://www.maxdupain.com.au/specials/
Nude with shawl 1930s
“I remember the words of the Belgian photographer by the name of Leonard Bresson…”It is not the subject matter that counts, it is the light.”
This influenced me quite a lot in my work. The more you realise this and orientate those thoughts, the more you realise that it is the light that matters…..I think we all prefer to use available natural light if possible but its not always the case.”
Extract from interview between Dupain and Hazel de Berg 1975.