Skip to main content
Menu

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.

Face the Music

Previous exhibition
from Monday 15 August until Sunday 13 November 2005

Australia has become recognised for the range and talent of its musicians, composers, conductors and celebrities in general associated with the music industry.

Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly, 2004 Jon Campbell. © Jon Campbell

The National Portrait Gallery’s current exhibition, Face the Music, provides insights into some of these key individuals and groups who have impacted on Australian music over the past four decades. Drawn from the Gallery’s permanent collection, the exhibition explores the remarkable talents and achievements of these people and their significant contributions on the local and the international music scenes.

Diverse in its outlook, Face the Music includes a range of subjects from the renowned opera diva Dame Joan Sutherland, Johnny O’Keefe, Australia’s first rock ‘n’ roll star of the late 1950s, alto saxophonist Bernie McGann, who is widely regarded as one of the most creative Australian jazz musicians, to songwriter and cabaret performer Peter Allen. More contemporary subjects include Mandaway Yunupingu, lead singer of celebrated Indigenous band Yothu Yindi, and singers Christine Anu and Natalie Imbruglia.

The breath of musical styles, adopted by Australian individuals and collectives is manifest throughout the exhibition. Country music stars including Slim Dusty, Troy Casser-Daly and Kasey Chambers are captured in the photographs of John Elliott. Australia’s best-known composer Peter Sculthorpe is depicted through Eric Smith’s painting and eminent jazz musician Don Burrows is illustrated playing his clarinet in a painting by Barry Walsh. Both Sculthorpe and Burrows have been declared living treasures of Australia. Highlights from Australia’s rock history are also captured including the 1970s band Sherbert, seen here posed naked for POL magazine in a photograph by Lewis Morley, as well as long time TV series Countdown presenter and prominent music critic Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum with headgear, naturally, in a recent photograph by Robin Sellick.

20 portraits

1 Natalie Imbruglia, 1999 Polly Borland. © Polly Borland. 2 Sherbet, 1974 (printed 2002) Lewis Morley. © Lewis Morley Archive LLC. 3 Nick Cave, 1999 Howard Arkley. © Estate of Howard Arkley. Licensed by Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art.
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency