The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981)

This exhibition brings Melbourne-made history to life through the work of 58 artists who studied or taught at Prahran College between 1968 and 1981. These artists explored and documented the world around them by experimenting with technique and approaching photography as an artform. The basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981) exhibits rare vintage prints, key archival ephemera and folio work from students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography). It was a period where new discussions developed quickly around the possibilities of what photography could be. These students and teachers were part of a progressive, edgy wave of image-makers excited about the medium’s potential. Under the vanguard of influential photographers such as John Cato, Paul Cox and Athol Shmith, the school became a breeding ground for some of this country’s most important art photographers: Carol Jerrems, Bill Henson, Nanette Carter, Rod McNicol, Polly Borland, Peter Milne, Robert Ashton, Philip Quirk, Peter Leiss, Jacqueline Mitelman, Mimmo Cozzolino, Graham Howe and Julie Millowick, among many others.