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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.

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To Look Away – Tilda, 2015

by Sophie Hyde

Finalist, Digital Portraiture Award 2016
Single-channel HD digital video

To Look Away – Tilda, 2015 by Sophie Hyde
Video: 18 minutes

What does it mean to look away? Is it inherently submissive or can it speak of a rich, difficult, consuming or delicious inner world? I hope so. In this video portrait Tilda Cobham-Hervey experiments with her gaze – the power of the direct view and the intimacy of seeing a person consumed by their own emotional world. This portrait examines the shifts between a public image, a knowing stare and the private life we might become privy to. It is stylised and performative but seeks authenticity and truth. It is inherently playful and allows a young subject to claim space on the walls often held for dignitaries, the celebrated and the privileged.

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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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