Philip QUIRK
Paul Cox and Rod McNicol at opening of
Human still lives from Nepal 1975
Saturday 15 March 2pm
The late 1960s and early 1970s were a transformative time for photography. The convergence of emerging social movements, migration, and a new focus on artistic expression created a fertile ground for innovative ideas and varied voices. Prahran College students played a crucial role in documenting these shifts, capturing the vibrant activism that defined the era.
In addition to these social movements, new galleries dedicated to the advancement of photography were opening, including Brummels Gallery of Photography opened in 1972 followed by The Photographers’ Gallery and Workshop in 1973. These new spaces fostered collaboration, dialogue and the exchange of ideas between artists and the photographic community.
Join Professors Helen Ennis and Daniel Palmer in the first of our Basement lectures series to discuss the key artists, exhibitions and moments for photography in the seventies.
MAPh is delighted to present a significant publication alongside the exhibition, The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981), dedicated to the teachers and students that contributed to this phenomenon. It celebrates a key period in the history of the Photography Department at the College, from when it moved into its new home in the basement, through to the merge with the State College of Victoria. Capturing first-hand accounts from the people who were there, this project shines a light on the associated gallery scene and the cultural impact of the College throughout Melbourne and further afield. This event celebrates the launch of the publication.
Free program
Helen Ennis writes on Australian photography and photographers and her latest book Max Dupain: A portrait (2024) is her third biography. Helen is Emeritus Professor, Australian National University, where she was Director of the Centre for Art History and Art Theory and Sir William Dobell Chair of Art History from 2014-18. She was formerly trained as a curator at the National Gallery of Australia where she headed the Department of Photography from 1985-92 and has worked extensively as a freelance curator. Her numerous publications include Photography and Australia, Intersections: Photography, history and the National Library of Australia, Reveries: Photography and Mortality, Wolfgang Sievers, and award-winning biographies of Margaret Michaelis and Olive Cotton. Helen is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities and in 2021 was awarded the J Dudley Johnson Medal by the British Royal Photographic Society for her contribution to the history of photography.
Daniel Palmer is a Professor in the School of Art at RMIT University in Naarm/Melbourne, where he leads art history and theory. His book publications include Dystopian and Utopian Impulses in Art Making: The World We Want, edited with Grace McQuilten (Intellect 2023), Installation View: Photography Exhibitions in Australia 1848–2020 (Perimeter Editions 2021) with Martyn Jolly; Photography and Collaboration: From Conceptual Art to Crowdsourcing (Bloomsbury 2017); Digital Light (Open Humanities Press, 2015), edited with Sean Cubitt and Nathaniel Tkacz; The Culture of Photography in Public Space (Intellect 2015), edited with Anne Marsh and Melissa Miles; Twelve Australian Photo Artists (Piper Press, 2009), co-authored with Blair French; and Photogenic (Centre for Contemporary Photography, 2005).
The publication The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981) was made possible through the generous support of the Gordon Darling Foundation, Colin Abbott, Andrew Penn AO and Kallie Blauhorn.
Publication partner
Gordon Darling Foundation
Design partner
Paul Mylecharane, Common Room
Print supporter
Peter Hatzipavlis, Final Grade
Thank you to Deakin University Archives for actively collecting and preserving the archives of Prahran College and granting the writers unlimited access to their collections. Particular thanks to Antony Catrice and James Lee for sharing their extensive knowledge and for their enthusiastic support. Our sincere appreciation for the support of Final Grade, a bespoke post-production studio run by Artistic Director, master fine art printer and video colourist Peter Hatzipavlis.
Publication contributors:
Helen Ennis, Daniel Palmer, Gael Newton, Adrian Danks, Bill Henson, Susan Van Wyk, Nanette Carter, Nicholas Nedelkopoulos, James McArdle, Angela Connor, Stella Loftus-Hills
