Through Dupain's lens - architecture as art

One of Australia’s most revered photographers, Max Dupain, has made the geographic world of Sydney the heart of his artistry, its pulse radiating from the harbour, around Circular Quay, its streets, the city’s many parks and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Fascinated by the shape of the city’s innovative architecture, Dupain captured Sydney from unusual vantage points, questioning how we interact visually with our environment.

As a result, Dupain’s photographs intrigue, sometimes half-hidden by shadows yet always mystified by distance, with the fall of light almost always determining when to pull the shutter. Dupain preferred the ‘raking light’ of early morning and late afternoon. With a compass in hand he would sometimes stake out a building and follow the movement of the sun to predict when the light would be perfect.

In 1989, Dupain gave the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) more than 1,000 photographs of Australian architecture that spanned a period of over 50 years. He believed that the photographs should be in an architectural archive and that the RAIA was the rightful place. These photographs have come to form the basis of an invaluable collection, and include buildings that have since been demolished, leaving the photographs perhaps the only physical indication of their existence.

As part of the Sydney Architecture Festival, many of these photographs are being exhibited for the very first time as part of the Unseen Dupain event, curated by Dr. Zeny Edwards.

Another event at Sydney Architecture Festival will consider Dupain’s relationship to architecture. ‘In Conversation’ will explore the professional relationship and friendship between architect Harry Seidler and the famous photographer. The way the two traded ideas on how to take good architectural photographs by considering light, angles and perspective, which often resulted in iconic works of art will be examined. Included as part of the talk will be photographs of Seidler’s buildings, including the Australian Embassy in Paris, Australia Square, Rose Seidler House, the Seidler Residence in Kllara, and Harry Seidler and Associates Office.

The talk features David Marr in conversation with Penelope Seidler and Jill White.

Unseen Dupain
Date: Wednesday, October 19 to Friday, October 28
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cost: Free, no bookings

In Conversation
Date: Thursday, October 27
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Cost: Free, no bookings