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Monday, September 8, 2008

Exhibitions & Displays

THE OPENING CHAPTER: BUILDING THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

Unknown photographer

The National Library of Australia master key

Friday, April 18, 2008 - Sunday, November 16, 2008
Visitor Centre

The National Library of Australia, with its elegant classical lines, is a major landmark in the Parliamentary Triangle and the principal storehouse of Australia’s documentary heritage. The present building was officially opened on 15 August 1968 by then Prime Minister John Gorton. It was designed by architectural firm Bunning and Madden and was described by one commentator as 'monumental, severe and proud'. Previously, the Library had been housed in the Parliamentary building in Melbourne, then in several locations throughout Canberra including the 'first' National Library building on Kings Avenue which was demolished to make way for the Edmund Barton offices two years after the current building was opened.

Culturally, 1968 was a 'happening year': 2001: A space odyssey astonished film goers, the Beatles released Hey Jude, and Hair, a tribal love-rock musical, was first performed on Broadway. In Australia, The Margaret Fulton Cookbook was published, Robert Helpmann's ballet Sun Music was performed and the Australian Council for the Arts was established, Sir Hans Heysen died and Kylie Minogue was born.

The display will include original watercolours of the proposed interior spaces, digital prints of the stunning building art and nostalgic images of areas that no longer exist.



A MODERN VISION: CHARLES BAYLISS, PHOTOGRAPHER 1850-1897

Bayliss

Allan Cunningham Memorial in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, c.1885

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Sunday, October 26, 2008
Exhibition Gallery

Charles Bayliss was probably Australia’s greatest nineteenth century photographer. His outstanding skills were recognised during his lifetime, but in contemporary terms Bayliss has not yet received his due. This comprehensive exhibition examines his work in depth and places it in the context of late nineteenth century life and culture. It features the full range of his output – portraits, architectural photography, panoramas of Sydney and landscapes. Materials relating to Bayliss’ associate Beaufoy Merlin and his patron B.O. Holtermann are included.



WILD PLACES: Photographs by Richard Green

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Sunday, November 16, 2008
Visitor Centre, and 4th floor

Richard Green is a photographer who lives in Sydney. Retiring in 1987 from a career developing high tech conventions he now pursues his passion for landscape photography and for helicopters. He and his wife spend weeks at a time using their helicopter to access and then photograph remarkable remote areas of Australia. A benefit provided by the helicopter is that most of his images are of wild places never before photographed.

Green’s works are large colourful panoramic landscapes – usually over 2 metres in length. He merges multiple high resolution digital images to create each large, detailed and compelling photograph. Green is an active conservationist and lover of the bush and is concerned by the politics of commercialisation and the devastating effects of climate change.

Green’s contemporary panoramas will be an exciting counterpoint to the revealing 19th century panoramas of Charles Bayliss being shown in the National Library’s Exhibition Gallery. Both exhibitions are part of Vivid: The National Photography Festival.

Wild Places

Tours

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