RMIT celebrates 130 years of photography

RMIT University will open Photography 130, an exhibition showcasing the 130 years of work that has come from the education institution teaching photography, on Friday, March 10.

Photo: Les Walkling. Ten Years is a Long Time, 1994.

The exhibition charts work created by RMIT staff and alumni between 1887 and 2017 in the service of art, politics, news, entertainment, commerce, science and discovery.

The large-scale exhibition brings together a collection of over 100 images from 59 photographers, revealing the significant contribution made by RMIT’s photography programs to Melbourne over the last 130 years.

When RMIT first began operations as the Working Men’s College in 1887, photography was one of the foundation disciplines, making it the oldest program in photography at post-secondary level anywhere in the world.

said that in marking 130 years of photography at RMIT, it’s clear the enormous scope and number of outstanding professional photographers practicing around the globe whose development was impacted by RMIT.

;From the beginning there was a focus on technical excellence, experimentation and the capacity for the applications of photography in industry, science and medicine,’ said RMIT gallery director, Suzanne Davies. ‘Significantly, from the outset the photography course enrolled women as well as men, enjoying consistent growth in equality of enrolments.’

Exhibition curator Shane Hulbert, deputy head at RMIT School of Art, said that in a world where an image is instant and ubiquitous, a photograph taken by a trained professional stands apart as it is a reflection of the photographer as well as what is in front of the lens.

An RMIT outdoor photography class, 1904.

Divided into five themes – The Historians and the Archive, Inquiry, Insights, Moments and Narratives – each category presents a repository of the many ways the education institution informs, and is informed by, the photographers linked to its legacy and role in the community.

‘Each photographer’s relationship to RMIT – as alumni, as educator or both – creates a linkage to the evolving narrative of RMIT University’s central role to the photographic narrative of Melbourne, and how this story has in turn been instrumental in training generations of photographers around the world,’ said Hulbert.

Photography 130 opens March 10 until April 13.
RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street, Melbourne.

Free public programs
Friday March 10 1-2pm Curator’s talk with Shane Hulbert.

Thursday 16 March 5.30-6.30pm 130 years of photography at RMIT: Pauline Anastasiou, John Billan, Gale Spring, Alex Syndikas

Thursday 23 March 1-2pm Predictions & Premonitions: Bronek Kozka, Kate Robertson, Murray McKeich.


Recent Related Posts