Focus works
Click the links to view each work in the collection, including an image and more information.
Paris 'private’ series
Untitled (the glass dome of Grand Palais) 1978
Research the history of the Grand Palais in Paris. What is the building used for today? Imagine walking through this building. Look up at the sky through the glass. Describe what you would see, hear and experience on your journey through. Compare images of the Grand Palais today with Dupain’s 1978 photograph
Describe the way Dupain has explored and manipulated line, depth and scale in this image. What mood is created through the use of these compositional tactics? Research other artists who have used architecture as a poetic subject matter for photography.
Look at the figure in this photograph. Who is he? Where is he going? Where has he been? Write a story about this central figure and imagine what will happen next.
Describe the strong formal composition of this image. How has Dupain emphasised the camera’s ability to select a moment in time? What does the presence of a human figure add to the composition? How would the mood be transformed if the figure was younger, female, multiplied or even absent?
Untitled (mythological sculptural group at the Grand Palais) 1978
Think about the process involved in capturing this image. Where was the artist when he took the photograph? What view did he have? Look at the composition of the clouds. Do you think the image was planned or just chance? How would it be different if it were in colour?
Research examples of Greek and Roman classical sculpture. What do you think drew Dupain to these particular subjects? Compare this image with Dupain’s photographs of sparse modern architecture. Are there similarities? Consider the camera angles and dramatic tonal contrasts.
Other pictures
Australia Square and Calder sculpture, Sydney 1968
Imagine climbing up to the top of this building. List everything that you can see and hear. What time of day is it? Describe the temperature. Now climb down to the bottom of the building and look up. What do you think the Dupain was thinking about when he took this photograph?
Research the history and development of this Seidler-designed building. List the artists whose work is installed in and around this space. Why do you think it has been described as iconic and a landmark in Australian architecture? Why do you think the aesthetic concerns of modern architecture resonated so deeply with Dupain?
Ceiling, stairway and lift shaft in old CSR head office 1960, printed 1983
Find an interesting stairway or ceiling. Use a viewfinder and choose your favourite part. Draw or photograph the view in the morning then in the afternoon, thinking about the difference in light. Compare both images.
How does Dupain amplify the formal features of his architectural subjects? Consider his choice of camera angle and describe how he has used lighting, cropping, composition. What impact do these decisions have on the viewer? Is there a difference between Dupain’s approach to interior and exterior subjects?
Slipper orchids 1958
Look closely at this photograph. Is it one plant reflected in a mirror or two different plants? How do you think Dupain has created this image? Does the photograph remind you of something else? Use your imagination and write a description of what you can see.
Dupain wanted ‘to extract every ounce of content from any exciting form and I want to give life to the inanimate’. Consider what he means by this statement. In this image, is the flower’s original context important to him? How has he used symmetry and composition to transform his subject? Describe the use of light and shadow. Find images of the Rorschach test and compare them with Dupain’s image.