How is it done? How do artists capture someone’s presence and personality? What is the nature of this relationship? What does it feel like to be a sitter for a portrait in the national collection?
Before handreveals the backstories of iconic works from the collection of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. Each portrait becomes a fascinating and inspiring personal and creative journey shared by artist and sitter. Interviews with artists and sitters as well as rarely seen working drawings, studies, scrapbooks, sketches, and footage taken in artists’ studios and out on location take you on that portrait-making adventure.
The exhibition examines the creative and social process of making a portrait. Being the sitter for a portrait is the most public and private of moments. A portrait artist has a complicated and exciting task. This exhibition approaches great works from Australia’s national portrait collection from both perspectives.
The intriguing character of these creative encounters structure the exhibition, revealing important parallels that offer an insight into the nature of portraiture itself. In Before hand portraits come alive as collaborations, assemblages, conversations, discoveries, speculations and revelations.
Photographer Narelle Autio and champion cyclist Anna Meares talk you through the adventure of their location shoot where the landscape to helps tell the story. A delightful collaboration emerges in artist David Rosetzky’s studio during the making of his stunning double-exposure portrait of Australian singer, songwriter and actress, Jessica Mauboy. Working drawings reveal the assembling of visage and vista in eX de Medici’s portrait of the band Midnight Oil. Preparatory sketches become intricate and evocative revelations in the hands of Jiawei Shen for his portrait of Princess Mary of Denmark and Jenny Sages for her portrait of Emily Kngwarreye.
Availability
Before hand will be available from March 2020 and into 2021. The exhibition dates to be negotiated.
Number of works
Approximately 50 framed works, a mix of paintings, photographs and drawings. Artist books and ephemera will feature within Before hand. There will also be one or two AV screens on which selected Portrait Stories (interviews with sitters and artists) will be shown on continuous loops.
Tour manual
An electronic manual will be provided to the host venue with all material required for promotion and advertising, such as logos, logo-use and acknowledgement specifications, promotional images, a DL invitation, an exhibition checklist and captions, and more.
Support
A National Portrait Gallery designer will assist with exhibition layout in the lead up to the exhibition in consultation with your team. On site during the changeover period a NPG representative will courier the exhibition and provide support with unpacking, condition reporting, layout and installation – assistance on pack-up will also be provided.
Signage and wall labels
The tour will include physical introductory signage, wall text and labels. A bespoke vinyl wall graphic can also be supplied if desired.
