25 May 2006
Monash PhD researcher and internationally-recognised artist Polixeni Papapetrou will show two of her renowned photographic series exploring the representation of childhood, in a new exhibition to be held at the Monash Faculty Gallery, Caulfield.
Opening on June 15, A most curious adventure brings together the series Dreamchild (2003) and Wonderland (2004) that are inspired by the photographic and literary works of 19th century author Lewis Carroll.
Rather than portraying children as an innocent ideal, Carroll encouraged the young girls before his camera to play dress-ups and engage in theatre, producing images that crossed gender, racial and class lines.
Fascinated with the underlying subversive and radical content of those photographs, Papapetrou has restaged them with her daughter Olympia as a subject to examine the transformative power of fancy dress.
Her photographs engage with the child's imaginative experimentation with roles and archetypes, and challenges the way our culture wants to see children in photography.
Papapetrou's work has been widely exhibited in Australia and internationally in more than 20 solo exhibitions and 50 group shows, inspiring more than 80 articles, essays and critical reviews. Dreamchild and Wonderland were last year shown at Le Mois de la Photo, 9th Montreal Photography Biennale in Canada.
What:
A most curious adventure, Polixeni Papapetrou
Where: Faculty Gallery, Monash Art and Design Caulfield, 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East, 3145.
When: Opening night, Thursday 15 June, 6pm. Exhibition, Friday 16 June until Monday 26 June, Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat: 1-5pm
For more information contact Melissa Marino, Media Communications, on + 61 3 9905 2085 or 0437 121 978 or Faculty Gallery director Lisa Byrne on +61 9903 2882. High resolution images are available.
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