17 August – 23 September 2007
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Bondi shines under the talented eye of one of Australia's most intuitive photographers.
National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery celebrates the long awaited exhibition of Rex Dupain’s The Colour of Bondi.
For over four years, Dupain visited Bondi Beach on an almost daily basis, capturing the world of surfers, bathers, backpackers, swimmers, divers & divas of every age and cultural background. Rex Dupain’s seasonal pursuit of this ‘unrehearsed reality of beach life’ allows us to view the democracy of the beach culture and its tribes that inhabit the famous Bondi strip. Forty seven works have now been specially selected & printed for exhibition at the National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery 17 August – 23 September.
It was in 1937 on a NSW beach that Rex’s father, the late Max Dupain, shot the iconic image, The Sunbaker – arguably the most famous Australian photograph, 70 years later, beach photography is becoming an endangered art form.
“I find the human form and its relationship with the sea and landscape fascinating and beach culture in all its moods is exciting and stimulating but capturing that is almost impossible in today’s society,” Dupain says, in the end the community may suffer historically and culturally.”
Rex Dupain started taking photographs at the age of four when he was given a camera as a gift from his father, Max Dupain. Rex later became the official school photographer at Sydney Grammar School where he attended as a student from 1964 to 1972. Rex attended the National Art School as a student and later as a teacher. During the 1970s & 80s he carved a successful career painting the Australian landscape and for 22 years did not use a camera. “After my father’s death in 1992, I had a curious urge to try. “All Dads’ negatives were lost in a bitter court case and one day I just wanted to start photographing again. What I found was that after years at art school and painting, I had trained my eye and this self-induced apprenticeship meant that I was ready to carry on the baton,” said Dupain.
Since then Rex Dupain’s photography has been the subject of several publications including Colour of Bondi (published by New Holland, 2006). Rex’s work has been shown in a dozen exhibitions both in Australia and abroad, including the highly successful ‘Max and Rex Dupain’s Sydney’ 2004, at the Museum of Sydney, attended by over 27,000 visitors.
National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery Charity Event – Monday 24 September, 6pm
At an unprecedented event, the whole collection of work from The Colour of Bondi exhibition will be auctioned by fine art auctioneers, Bonhams & Goodman, after the close of the show. All 47 colour photographs will be sold with proceeds donated to the National Trust of Australia (NSW) & S.H. Ervin Gallery. Tim Goodman, Chief Executive Officer at Bonhams & Goodman said, “We are very excited at the prospect of conducting this auction. There is a great deal of interest in photography on the secondary market and a great deal of interest in Rex Dupain. I am not aware of there ever having been an auction of the contents of an exhibition at a public institution.”
Exhibition Details:
Rex Dupain: The Colour of Bondi
National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery
Watson Rd, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, NSW
17 August – 23 September 2007
Public Program of Guest Speakers, Sundays at 3pm.
The Colour of Bondi, New Holland Publishers, available for sale at S.H. Ervin Gallery Bookshop @ $49.95. mail orders welcome.
Public Auction by Bonhams & Goodman
on site, National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery
Monday 24 September viewing from 5pm, auction at 6pm
auction catalogue available for exhibition visitors
Phone the Gallery for further details: 02 9258 0173
Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney,
(car entry from Argyle Street)
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11am – 5pm
Admission: $6, $4 National Trust members, seniors & concessions
General Information: 02 9258 0173
Media information: 02 9258 0150
Administration & Group Bookings: 02 9258 0140
Education/School Group Bookings: 02 9258 0122
email: shervingallery@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au
Public Program of Guest Speakers: Sundays @ 3pm (subject to availability)
Exhibition Introductory Floor Talk: Tuesdays @ midday
Trust Café, Arts Bookshop & parking onsite. Group bookings & tours welcome.
S.H. Ervin Gallery supported by
