The latest exhibition at the Deakin University 'Pop Up' Gallery at Deakin Downtown (Melbourne Docklands) captures a time when the Australian economy was riding 'on the sheep's back'.
A Whitehorse Artspace Travelling Exhibition, the show presents a series of photographs taken in 1951 by former Life magazine photojournalist, Francis Reiss, which provide an insight into life on a successful sheep station at the height of the Australian wool boom.
The photographs making up the ‘On the Sheep’s Back’ exhibition have been digitally remastered from the original 60 year-old silver gelatin prints and depict life on the 30,000 acre, 5000 sheep farm and the surrounding town.
They were taken by Mr Reiss when he visited Burren Burren sheep station, at Collarenebri, NSW, owned by Rex White. The negatives were lost many years ago, but one set of prints made in the darkroom at Picture Post (London) at the time, survived and were purchased by National Library of Australia in 2008.
Whitehorse Artspace Curator Jacquie Nichols-Reeves stumbled across the images in 2012 when researching another exhibition.
“What struck me right away with the Burren Burren Station images was the handsome face of Rex White... The image, an iconic portrait of an Australian farmer, was captured by no amateur photographer; it was snapped by a talented young photographer who knew his craft,” Ms Nichols-Reeves said.
Deakin’s Manager of Art Collection and Galleries, Leanne Willis, said the University was delighted to be working with the Whitehorse City Council to host an exhibition of such iconic photographs.
“They capture a nostalgic look at a period in Australian history and it is a wonderful opportunity to have the chance to view them in our new pop up space at Deakin Downtown,” she said.
The exhibition runs to 12 May 2017.
