Australian Modern by Max Dupain

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Max Dupain is regarded as one of Australia’s most respected and influential black-and-white photographers. 

Max Dupain, Morning rush hour, Sydney Harbour Bridge 1938, black and white silver gelatin photograph. Printed by Jill White.
Max Dupain, Morning rush hour, Sydney Harbour Bridge 1938, black and white silver gelatin photograph.
Printed by Jill White.

Dupain pioneered a Modernist approach of high contrast, sharp focus, dramatic angles, and creative compositions, departing sharply from the sentimentality of soft focused and nostalgic post-colonialism.

This collection of over 60 original photographs hand printed by Jill White, records a bygone era of Australian society from the 1930s to 1980s. Amongst them are some of Australia’s most iconic images of beach culture, landscape, fashion, and the grand vistas and quiet moments of city life including the construction of the Sydney Opera House and powerful images of the new Sydney Harbour Bridge. Dupain’s work is an inspiration to any aspiring photographer or voyeur of culture.

Max Dupain, Sydney Opera House under construction (man with wire) 1962, black and white silver gelatin photograph. Printed by Jill White.
Max Dupain, Sydney Opera House under construction (man with wire) 1962,
black and white silver gelatin photograph. Printed by Jill White.

This project has been assisted by Jill White.

Jill White began her career as a photographer in the 1970s when she worked as a studio photographer, and manager, of the Max Dupain studio. This role continued until around the time of Dupain’s death in 1992 and  the Dupain Exhibition Negative Archive was bequeathed to Jill White with instructions to print, exhibit, publish, and sell his images.

Max Dupain, Bondi Beach Symmetry c1940s, black and white silver gelatin photograph. Printed by Jill White.
Max Dupain, Bondi Beach Symmetry c1940s, black and white silver gelatin photograph. Printed by Jill White.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

February

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Perth: Until 18 May 2025. Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Sydney: Until 8 Mar 2025. While Dean’s fantasias might seem like digitally conjured dreamscapes, they are an extraordinary feat of practical effects, with subjects in actual gardens and elaborately constructed underwater sets.

Melbourne: Until 26 April 2025. The exhibition features 52 works from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of dance legends and reflects the freedom and joy of dance and its power to connect.

Sydney: Until 27 April 2025. Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition. Featuring 118 extraordinary images, this exhibition explores the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of our oceans.

Canberra: Until 2 March. Drawn from the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition showcases more than 140 photographs, from Jerrems’ lesser-known early work to the now iconic Vale Street 1975,

In ‘Inside/Outside (U.S.A)’ James Bryans (re)captures iconic American landmarks frequently depicted in film and television, revealing the strangeness, unfamiliarity and complexity of familiar land.

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.