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Snapshots of mortality

7 May 2008

Photograph - The beginning of absence by Ruth Maddison

The beginning of absence by Ruth Maddison (1996) one of the many photographs on display as part of the Reveries: photography and mortality exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.

At first glance, death and art seem an unlikely combination.

But the match makes perfect sense in the case of a touring exhibition on the topic of death curated by the National Portrait Gallery.

Reveries: photography and mortality presents images inspired by the cycle of life and death.

Some of the photographs explore the idea from an abstract angle. Others, like the self-portraits of iconic 1970s photographer Carol Jerrems, who died aged just 31, present the stark reality of physical decline.

The Palliative Care Research Team at Monash University and the Peninsula Hospice Service will host a morning tea on Monday 12 May to discuss some of the ideas conjured by this unique exhibition.

Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Nursing, Palliative Care Professor Margaret O'Connor expects the modern-day nature of the images will strongly resonate with viewers.

"Dying should be everybody's business, and these images make us face our own mortality," Professor O'Connor said. "Many people, even health professionals, refer to death using euphemistic language.

"Through the experience of an exhibition like this, you're actually putting images of death and dying among the ordinary experiences of life. It isn't something out of the ordinary, it isn't something unexpected."

The exhibition also includes photographs by Olive Cotton, Max Dupain, Rod McNicol, David Moore, Anne Noble, Jack Picone, Michael Riley and William Yang.

Professor O'Connor said the morning tea would give guests an opportunity to reflect on the collection.

"One of the pictures is of the shoes that your mother might have worn. There's a much more ready point of identification.

"We have many examples of death and dying depicted in art, because it's long been a subject of art.

"What's different about this exhibition is that it's very contemporary and because it's in a regional art gallery, it is being offered in a way that makes it accessible to the community."

Reveries: photography and mortality is on at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Dunns Road, Mornington, until Sunday 18 May.

The café conversation morning tea will be held from 10am to 12noon on Monday 12 May.

RSVP for the session by calling +61 3 9783 6177 by Thursday 8 May. Session cost: $12.