New exhibition at MAPh celebrates youth over 4 decades

Naomi HOBSON: The good sister ‘Ms. Daley, the kindergarten teacher has a flash black bike, it’s them olden-style one. Every time I drop Erica off at kindy, I always check it out.’ Kayla  2019’; from the series Adolescent wonderland; pigment ink-jet print; 69.2 x 104.1 cm; Museum of Australian Photography, City of Monash Collection; acquired 2021. MAPh 2021.135; courtesy of the artist, Arthouse Gallery (Sydney) and Vivien Anderson Gallery (Melbourne).

The display will showcase works by 28 artists, who include some of Australia’s most vital image-makers, Young asks us to consider the role photography plays in shaping the story of growing up in this country. It captures the fleeting and the formative, reflects cultural ideals and anxieties, and constructs the very image of youth itself. From the staged to the spontaneous, from the diaristic to the documentary, these works reveal that youth is not only lived but also performed, remembered and mythologised. The artists whose works are on display include: Atong Atem, Donna Bailey, Anne Ferran, Bill Henson, Petrina Hicks, Naomi Hobson, Samuel Hodge, Paul Knight, Katrin Koenning, Christopher Köller, Jesse Marlow, Rod McNicol, Jacqueline Mitelman, Tracey Moffatt, Corben Mudjandi, Prudence Murphy, Derek O’Connor, Polixeni Papapetrou, Trent Parke, Drew Pettifer, David Rosetzsky, Julie Rrap, Naomie Sunner, Darren Sylvester, Simon Terrill, David M Thomas, Lisa Tomasetti and Lyndal Walker.

MAPh is also producing a podcast series with three of the exhibiting artists: Darren Sylvester, Lyndal Walker and Samuel Hodge. Plus zine creators Sticky Institute will run workshops for young folks across the school holidays. Entry is free of charge. The gallery is located at 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill, Victoria 3150. Click here for more information.