
What is Max Dupain famous for?
Max Dupain, in full Maxwell Spencer Dupain, (born April 22, 1911, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia—died July 27, 1992, Sydney), Australian photographer who developed an influential style of commercial photography that emphasized the geometric forms of his architectural and industrial subjects. Dupain,...
When is the Max Dupain exhibition in Sydney?
Friday 6 June until Sunday 10 August 2003. During his long and distinguished career Max Dupain took thousands of photographs of people. The exhibition comprises 70 vintage prints, the majority from the 1930s and 1940s and includes portraits of dancers, actresses and classical musicians as well as ordinary Australians.
What is the most famous photo of Paul Dupain?
The image, entitled Sunbaker, subsequently became Dupain’s most famous piece. However, it was not until the 1970s that the photograph received wide recognition. It was purchased in 1976 by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and has become a national icon.
Was this Max Dupain’s last portrait of olive?
Among the few personal photographic items dating from the Dupains’ married years is a study of Olive in a pensive mood, probably taken at Newport in 1940. This may well have been Max’s last major portrait of her. She leans on the windowsill, upper body and head tilting towards the natural light, eyes looking into the distance.

When did Max dupain start taking photos?
Max Dupain's began using Linhof Technica 4x5 camera in 1959 and it quickly became his 'go to' camera for architectural photography until the 1980s, including his well known documentary photography of the Sydney Opera House and workers during its construction from 1959-1973.
How did Max dupain get into photography?
Dupain, who exhibited his first landscape photographs while attending grammar school, studied at the East Sydney Technical College and the Julian Ashton Art School (both 1933–35), while he apprenticed from 1930 to 1934 with commercial photographer Cecil Bostock.
What does Max dupain photos mean?
THE ICONIC WORKS OF MAX DUPAIN Dupain was considered the pioneer of modernism in Australian photography, an approach that departed from the sentimentality of soft focused, nostalgic imagery to the simplified world of light contrasts, sharp focus, varying angles and creative compositions.
What was Max dupain inspired by?
Flesh and stone were the two great influences on Max Dupain's vision. From his earliest photographs he strove to transform the naked human body into something resembling the marble forms of antiquity.
Why is the Sunbaker so famous?
It depicts the head and shoulders of a man lying on a beach in New South Wales, taken from a low angle. The iconic photograph has been described as "quintessentially Australian", a "sort of icon of the Australian way of life", and "arguably the most widely recognised of all Australian photographs."
Where was the Sunbaker taken?
The model for Sunbaker was Harold Salvage, a British builder. Dupain took several photographs of Salvage, who was among a group of friends accompanying him on a surfing trip to Culburra Beach near the Shoalhaven River, NSW, in 1937.
What techniques did Max dupain use?
Dupain's pre-war photography experimented with other optical disintegration effects. His use of double-exposures, where two separate images disintegrate as they blend into each other, produced an effect where the form is immersed in background.
What is contrast in photography?
Contrast means difference. In photography, the most common differences are achieved by changes in the tones or colors that compose the image. Contrast has been a key element from the beginning of photography. It is the degree of difference between the elements that form an image.
Where was Max dupain born?
Sydney, AustraliaMax Dupain / Place of birth
Why is Max Dupain important in Australia?
Max Dupain (1911–92) is one of the leading figures of 20th-century Australian photography. He was a proponent of modernism from the early 1930s and played a key role in introducing graphic contours, formal abstraction and a play of scale into the Australian image vocabulary.
What techniques did Max dupain use?
Dupain's pre-war photography experimented with other optical disintegration effects. His use of double-exposures, where two separate images disintegrate as they blend into each other, produced an effect where the form is immersed in background.
Where was Max dupain born?
Sydney, AustraliaMax Dupain / Place of birth
What is contrast in photography?
Contrast means difference. In photography, the most common differences are achieved by changes in the tones or colors that compose the image. Contrast has been a key element from the beginning of photography. It is the degree of difference between the elements that form an image.
When were Max Dupain prints made?
All of our vintage prints that were made by Max in the 1930s and 1970/80s are available for purchase. The images for these prints are being put up on the site and if you are a keen Dupain fan, check them out and get in contact. Please check here
Who is Max Dupain?
Max Dupain was Australia's most respected and influential black & white photographer of the 20th century . His images capture a long gone era in which Australian society was vastly different from what it is now. With his documentary eye his images exude quality and demonstrate Dupain's mastership of light and form.
How big is a Dupain print?
The print measures 1385mm wide by 1225mm high with the image being 1200mm by 1020mm high. It is the biggest, highest quality hand print ever produced of a Dupain image. So if you are considering upgrading your old Sunbaker print, or acquiring a new one, then you might want to consider purchasing this amazing new production!
What is Dupain's style of photography?
Dupain was considered the pioneer of modernism in Australian photography, an approach that departed from the sentimentality of soft focused, nostalgic imagery to the simplified world of light contrasts, sharp focus, varying angles and creative compositions. The collection displayed in the on-line gallery represents this style, as well as compositions consistent with his work as a documentary photographer.
What is the most famous beach image in Australia?
Sunbaker 1937 – Australia’s most iconic beach image. Sunbaker 1937 as a high quality 1.5 metre wide hand print. The Sunbaker was Dupain's most iconic portrait and probably Australia's most iconic image representational of its beach culture.
Who is Max Dupain?
Max Dupain, Australian photographer who developed an influential style of commercial photography that emphasized the geometric forms of his architectural and industrial subjects. Dupain, who exhibited his first landscape photographs while attending grammar school, studied at the East Sydney
What did Dupain do in his career?
Dupain, who exhibited his first landscape photographs while attending grammar school, studied at the East Sydney Technical College and the Julian Ashton Art School (both 1933–35), while he apprenticed from 1930 to 1934 with commercial photographer Cecil Bostock. During World War IIhe left his fashion- and portrait-photography studio to work for the army camouflage unit; he then worked for the Australian Department of Information (1945–47). Upon his return to studio work, he de-emphasized picturesque landscapes and portraiture in favour of the more abstract architectural and industrial imagery that established him as one of Australia’smost significant Modernistphotographers. His work was featured in numerous exhibitions and retrospectives, notably an exhibit at the Photographer’s Gallery in London that celebrated his 80th birthday. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empirein 1982.
What is Max Dupain's philosophy?
He was not a joiner or follower of teams; he was republican in politics and agnostic. Philosophically, Dupain mixed rationalism with a less defined alliance with the passionate exhortation to live directly in one’s environment, body and heart. This philosophy was espoused by poets and writers such as D.H Lawrence, from the movement known in the 1920s and 1930s as Vitalism.
What did Dupain do in the 1930s?
He made many glamorous studio shots of beautiful socialites (including his own cousin Lucille), fashion models and celebrities in the mid to late 1930s with fashionable dramatic top and side lighting known from the movies as ‘Hollywood’ lighting.
What did Dupain write to Lindsay?
Dupain had written letters to Lindsay in 1932 sympathising with the artist’s controversial writings criticising ‘wowser’ constraints on Australian life. Dupain’s portrayal of Lindsay is not of a rebel or effete bohemian; it is cast in the modern photography style with simple lighting.
When did Max Dupain start his photography career?
Dupain received his first camera as a gift in 1924, spurring his interest in photography. He later joined the Photographic Society of NSW, where he was taught by Justin Newlan; after completing his tertiary studies, he worked for Cecil Bostock in Sydney. By 1934 Max Dupain had struck out on his own and opened a studio in Bond Street, Sydney.
Where did Max Dupain photograph Harold Salvage?
In 1937, while on the south coast of New South Wales, he photographed the head and shoulders of a friend, Harold Salvage, lying on the sand at Culburra Beach. The image, entitled Sunbaker, subsequently became Dupain’s most famous piece.
When was the Sunbaker photograph purchased?
However, it was not until the 1970s that the photograph received wide recognition. It was purchased in 1976 by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and has become a national icon.
Where did Max Dupain open his studio?
By 1934 Max Dupain had struck out on his own and opened a studio in Bond Street, Sydney.
Where was Dupain's famous photo taken?
In 1937, while on the south coast of New South Wales, he photographed the head and shoulders of a friend, Harold Salvage, lying on the sand at Culburra Beach. The image, entitled Sunbaker, subsequently became Dupain’s most famous piece but not until the 1970s.
Where did Dupain go to school?
Dupain, exhibited his first landscape photographs while attending grammar school, studing at the East Sydney Technical College and the Julian Ashton Art School (both 1933–35). He later joined the Photographic Society of NSW, where he was taught by Justin Newlan; after completing his tertiary studies, he worked for Cecil Bostock in Sydney.
Who is Max Dupain?
Max Dupain was Australia’s most respected and influential modernist black & white photographer of the 20th century. Dupain was considered the pioneer of modernism in Australian photography, an approach that departed from the sentimentality of soft focused, nostalgic imagery to the simplified world of light contrasts, sharp focus, ...
When did Grierson read a book?
In 1947 , these feelings were reinforced when he read a book Grierson on Documentary which defined the need for photography without pretence. His work was featured in numerous exhibitions and retrospectives, notably an exhibit at the Photographer’s Gallery in London that celebrated his 80th birthday.
Foreword
It seems that an inescapable bond exists between the people who make photographs and the images they create. One informs the other. This idea holds good across the spectrum of photography.
An appreciation
Exploration of the beauty and drama of light has enticed many a photographer on physical voyages of discovery. Some travel relentlessly to reach new shores; others are content to examine and re-examine the environment and society into which they were born.
Where did Max Dupain live?
In 1924, aged 13, she found a friend who was also interested in photography: one Max Dupain, the only son of family friends who, like the Cottons, had a holiday home in Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches. Both family units were strong, enmeshed in tight-knit extended networks with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all living nearby – in Hornsby, in the Cottons’ case, and in the inner-west suburb of Ashfield, in the Dupains’. The families had similar values, attitudes and aspirations, which contributed to the easy, almost intuitive understanding Olive and Max gained of each other.
Who are Olive Cotton and Max Dupain?
They were childhood friends who grew up to share a keen interest in the evolving medium of photography. But marrying each other exposed Olive Cotton and Max Dupain to some uncomfortable truths.
What company did Max and Olive merge with?
The drop in clients following the outbreak of war was making their financial situation precarious and they decided to amalgamate with Hartland & Hyde, a process engraving firm and leader in colour printing. It was run by Ernest Hyde, whom Max knew from primary school.
Why did Olive and Max break up?
Olive made only two public statements that give any inkling of possible reasons for their break-up. One is enigmatic: “Things alter when you become a wife,” she told journalist Susan Chenery in 1995. The other is more specific and far more revealing: in a 1998 interview with Janet Hawley for Good Weekend, she said that by 1941, the year she left, she’d “had enough of Max paying rather too much attention to pretty models”.
Why did Max take photos?
Perhaps Max approached photography as a means of sublimating his desire for other women , because of his prior and ongoing attachment to Olive. For Olive, however, Max’s behaviour, whatever exactly it constituted, was unacceptable. She initially attempted to take control of the recurring circumstances presented to her. According to an acquaintance, Olive did everything she could to keep women away from Max.
What did Olive decide about Max?
Olive determined that leaving Max was her only option and she told him she would not be coming home again. He was apparently very shocked. Whatever the situation, within a few weeks, she determined that leaving Max was her only option and she told him she would not be coming home again.
How many shots did Olive and Max take?
Her portrait depicting Max sitting on the doorstep of their home is a study of relaxed intimacy. The shots they assembled, 45 in all, were mainly portraits: of Olive and Max photographed by each other, of people associated with the studio, and other mutual friends.
