John Curtin Gallery will play host to two major photography exhibitions that explore the expressive epoch of influential photographers James Tylor and Nan Goldin.
From July 4 – September 14, the John Curtin Gallery will present James Tylor’s Turrangka…in the shadows as well as National Gallery touring exhibition Nan Goldin: The ballad of sexual dependency. Each of these renowned artists uncover the influences of their lives, opening a window into the past and providing insight into culturally significant lived experiences.
Turrangka…in the shadows explores more than a decade of work by James Tylor, one of Australia’s leading multidisciplinary artists. This UNSW Galleries touring exhibition examines the suppression and erasure of Aboriginal cultural history – from the Australian landscape through to the ongoing legacy of colonialism.
Tylor’s unique adaptation of the Becquerel daguerreotype technique – one of the oldest forms of photography – bridges historical and contemporary photographic processes. This hybrid of analogue and digital photography is used to create contemporary artworks that reference Australian society and history. Tylor uses ‘turra’ – a Kaurna word meaning shadow — as his principal material, crafting a window to the past through light and darkness.
James Tylor said he is thrilled to showcase his 10-year survey exhibition, Turrangka…in the shadows, at John Curtin Gallery.
“I grew up in the Kimberley in Western Australia. I went to high school in Kununurra and Derby and then did my carpentry apprenticeship in Perth,” Tylor said.
“It feels like a full circle to bring my survey exhibition to Western Australia, where I grew up, and have the opportunity to share it with my friends and family.”
One of the most defining artworks of the twentieth century, Nan Goldin: The ballad of sexual dependency follows, in intimate detail, the lives of the post-punk, creative, queer scene of 1980s New York.
Acquired by the National Gallery of Australia into the national collection in 2022, Goldin’s ground-breaking series of 126 brilliant colour photographs is touring to John Curtin Gallery exclusively within Western Australia. As well as detailing highly personal narratives and connections, the ballad carries tremendous emotional power that continues to influence contemporary photographers and artists today.
Nan Goldin said capturing a photograph is a way of touching somebody.
“For me, it is not a detachment to take a picture. It’s a way of touching somebody – it’s a caress. I think that you can actually give people access to their own soul,” Goldin said.
National Gallery Curator of Photography Anne O’Hehir said Nan Goldin: The ballad of sexual dependency is the great work of her (Nan’s) life.
“Goldin has referred to it as the visual diary she lets us read. Its themes of intimacy, empathy and connection – and the importance Goldin places on community – continue to speak to audiences as strongly as they did when Goldin first showed the images as a slideshow in the underground clubs of New York in the early 1980s,” O’Hehir said.
“The National Gallery acquired Goldin’s own set of the series, the last of the edition, and the prints are distinctive for their saturated and vibrant colour palette, shimmering as if lit from within.”
Quotes from Lia McKnight, JCG Curator:
“James Tylor approaches his art practice with profound integrity. The skill and techniques he applies intimately connect to the themes and narratives in his work.”
“Through his sensitive and highly skilled methodology, Tylor generously shares cultural knowledge and history of Kaurna people.”
“Nan Goldin’s tender documentation of her friends and lovers has profoundly impacted the visual language of our times – The ballad of sexual dependency is one of the most defining artworks of the last 40 years.”
“The series is a deeply personal and loving ode to Nan Goldin’s community in 1980s New York. The intimacy of Goldin’s portrayal acts to subvert the politicisation and marginalisation of people and the issues that affect them.”
Nan Goldin: The ballad of sexual dependency is a National Gallery Touring Exhibition
presented as part of the Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program.
James Tylor – Turrangka…in the shadows is a UNSW Galleries exhibition. This exhibition is made possible through the support of Lotterywest and The Navigators.
Exhibition Details:
- Where: John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, 200A, Kent St, Bentley WA
- When: July 4 – September 14, 2025
