The Sunbather #2

Photographer Anne Zahalka (born 1957)

Date1989

Object number00030672

NamePhotograph

MediumType c print on paper

DimensionsOverall: 950 x 950 mm, 0.14 kg
Display dimensions (Frame): 1187 x 1197 x 45 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection

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Stories in photographs

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DescriptionColour photograph by Anne Zahalka titled 'The Sunbather # 2'. Print number 5/20.HistoryThis image is one of a selection of works ranges from early works from the Bondi series of 1989, when Anne Zahalka turned her eye on the centrality of the beach (and Bondi in particular) in Australia's identity, to the more general examination of sport and leisure in Australia's cultural profile. She looks at the construction of the image; reworking known images such as Max Dupain's famous 'Sunbather' to comment on the notion of the bronzed Aussie and also on the iconic status of the Dupain image itself.SignificanceSun,beach and water have long been identified with leisure and holiday fun. We flock to beaches, rivers and pools to relax and escape the stresses of everyday life - revisiting favourite playgrounds and meeting places. The swimmers, lifesavers, sunbathers and surfers who inhabit these leisure places have become iconic figures in the Australian cultural landscape.