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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

15 minutes of frame

NPG London, Scotland and Australia, 28 January 2021

NPG London, Scotland and Australia
Video: 48 minutes

Delve into the lives, loves and labour of the world’s most prominent portrait galleries in this international conversation series. From curatorial decisions to art handling, exhibition design to major events, favourite portraits to the creative copy they command – this is your chance to go behind the scenes for insights into global gallery goings-on. The second event in this 15 Minutes of Frame international series will focus on the power that photographic portraiture has to change and enhance collections. It features Magdalene Keaney, Senior Curator, Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, London and Louise Pearson Curator (Photography) at the National Galleries of Scotland, in conversation with our very own Penny Grist, Curator Exhibitions.

Together they delve into the nature of the medium, the diversity, and identity within photographic portraiture and its role in the history, opportunities, and legacies of these three portrait galleries.

Magdalene Keaney is Senior Curator, Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, London, where she is responsible for the care and development of one of the world’s largest and most significant collections of photographs. Her work encompasses acquisitions, commissions, displays and exhibition development. Keaney has written widely for exhibition catalogues, books and magazines including 100 Fashion Icons (National Portrait Gallery, London, 2019) and contributions to publications including Cindy Sherman (National Portrait Gallery, London, 2019), Know My Name (National Gallery of Australia, 2020), and A World History of Women Photographers (Editions Textuel, 2020). She is currently working on a major representation of the NPG’s historic collection for the Inspiring People redevelopment project. Previously holding curatorial roles at the Australian National Portrait Gallery and the Australian War Memorial, her expertise spans nineteenth century to contemporary and she is particularly interested in women’s practice.

Louise Pearson is Curator (Photography) at the National Galleries of Scotland, which holds Scotland’s national collection of photography. She has recently been awarded a grant from the Art Fund to use Scotland’s upcoming census as the catalyst to acquire and commission portraits which better reflect the diversity of Scotland’s population. Louise previously worked for Royal Collection Trust, where she worked on a major research project on Roger Fenton’s photographs of the Crimean War.

Penelope Grist holds a Master of Liberal Arts (Museums and Collections) from the Australian National University and honours degrees in Law and Art History (University of Sydney). She has worked at the National Library of Australia and National Museum of Australia and is currently Curator - Exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. She has twice been a judge and curator of the National Photographic Portrait Prize and has curated exhibitions including PROMO: Portraits from primetime (2014), In the Flesh (summer 2014-15) and Bare: Degrees of Undress (2015-16) and Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits (summer 2017-20). She is Chair of the PhotoAccess Board and an elected member of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association National Council.

Video transcript
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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