The frames are fitted, photographs hung and layouts tweaked as local and international photographers ready their exhibitions for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
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Curator Michelle Mountain has installed her exhibition Reverie Revelry: Fashion through Photography in the Ballarat Mechanics Institute.
It was not so long ago that fashion photography was considered frivolous and advertising-driven, a poor cousin to portraits, landscape and other artistic images but fashion photography is now one of the creative art form’s most popular genres.
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale exhibition Reverie Revelry: Fashion through Photography charts iconic fashion photography through the decades compared to the modern offerings of today.
Curator Michelle Mountain has gathered 50 images from seven photographers to contrast their styles.
“Fashion photography embraces our imagination and sits as the looking glass through which we wander into daydreams, playing with ideas of human desire, pushing societal boundaries and experimenting with identity, medium and form,” Ms Mountain said.
A highlight of the collection are the works of Bruno Benini and Robyn Beeche, whose estates offered their famed works to be showcased in the exhibition.
“I have a background in fine art photography so fashion wasn’t really my area of expertise but when I saw Benini’s work something really spoke to me,” Ms Mountain said.
Bruno Benini migrated to Melbourne from Italy in 1935 and became one of Australia’s most renowned mid-20th century fashion photographers with his work published on the fashion pages of all leading Australian newspapers.
“What I really discovered while researching more about fashion photography is how that intersects with art and other art practices,” she said.
Robyn Beeche captured the spirit of London’s alternative culture of the 1970s and 1980s, intersecting art photography with fashion photography with unique makeup and lighting at a time when performance art was at its peak.
“Fashion photography became a new medium to experiment with and show human aspiration and dreams. I’t fun and playful but also has great reverence and a dreamlike appearance.”
Belgian photographer Noe Sender has created works for the exhibition in direct response to Benini’s images.
“There is renewed recognition of fashion and fashion photography. Interestingly art history has ignored historical fashion photography. I think there was impression it was a bit superficial or frivolous but in recent decades there has been a huge surge in interest in fashion art, even in the more recognised galleries like the NGV with its Viktor&Rolf exhibition.”
The BIFB officially opens on Saturday with more than 100 exhibitions in 80 different venues during its 30-day run in Ballarat. For the full program visit ballaratfoto.org