In May 1968 the newly formed photography department of Prahran Technical School (known as Prahran College of Advanced Education (PCAE) from 1973) moved into the basement of a new art and design building on the corner of High Street and Thomas Street in Melbourne’s inner southeastern suburb of Prahran. Here, for the first time in Australia, photography was taught as an artform.
The basement features the work of around 60 artists – students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography) – from the 1960s through to the early 1980s. It was a period where new discussions developed quickly around the possibilities of what photography could be.
Led by photographers such as John Cato, Paul Cox and Athol Shmith, the school nurtured some of this country’s most important art photographers icluding Carol Jerrems, Bill Henson, Nanette Carter, Rod McNicol, Polly Borland, Peter Milne, Robert Ashton, Philip Quirk, Peter Leiss, Jacqueline Mitelman, Mimmo Cozzolino, Graham Howe and Julie Millowick, among many others.
Curated by Angela Connor, MAPh Senior Curator, and Stella Loftus-Hills, MAPh Curator
Join MAPh team member Yifang Lu for a Mandarin language tour of the The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981) to find out more about this important era in Australian photography.
Free program
Booking essential
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Please contact MAPh directly for large group bookings
