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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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Portrait of Cate Blanchett

2008
David Rosetzky

single channel moving image, colour, sound, 9 minutes, 56 seconds

Videography: Katie Milwright
Choreography: Lucy Guerin
Sound design and composition: J. David Franzke
Editor: Paul Damien Williams
Production managers: Lee Jake Mariano, Kate Rule
1st camera assistant: Tov Belling
Key grip: Martin Fargher
Gaffer: Matthew Hoile
Best boy: Adisung Tubtim
Colourist: Daniel Stonehouse at XYZ studios
Compositing: Reece Sanders
Hair, makeup and styling: Nadja Mott for Pluscreate
Hair, makeup and styling assistant: Sean Meilak
Clarinet on soundtrack: Gillian Howell
Clothing supplied by Obüs, Saxon Jorgensen

Cate Blanchett AC (b. 1969), actor and humanitarian, graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992 and the following year received a Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle award for the Sydney Theatre Company's Kafka Dances. Blanchett starred in Australian theatre, film and television shows before her breakout film Elizabeth (1998), for which she won her first Golden Globe. She won Academy Awards for Aviator (2004) and Blue Jasmine (2013), which also earned her a Golden Globe. A leading advocate for the arts in Australia, Blanchett was joint artistic director of the STC with her husband Andrew Upton from 2008 to 2013 and won worldwide accolades for her performances in productions including Uncle Vanya in New York. A Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Blanchett co-created the 2020 ABC drama Stateless, about Australia's immigration detention centres.

David Rosetzky collaborated with a number of individuals including choreographer Lucy Guerin, composer J David Franzke and Blanchett to produce this digital video portrait, filmed at the STC. As Rosetzky noted: 'It's a large cavernous warehouse where they make all of the sets for the theatre and I thought that that would be a nice connection to this idea of the construction of fictions, or the various constructions of self or identity, that Cate Blanchett plays out by taking on different roles and characters.'

Commissioned with funds provided by Ian Darling 2008
© Commonwealth of Australia

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

David Rosetzky (age 38 in 2008)

Cate Blanchett AC (age 39 in 2008)

Subject professions

Performing arts

Supported by

Ian Darling AO (2 portraits supported)

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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.

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