New Photography Exhibition at the Princeton University Art Museum Explores Changing Views of Australian Identity

Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography will be on view at the Princeton University Art Museum’s Art on Hulfish gallery from August 17, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The exhibition explores the tension between the so-called “Old World” of Europe and the “New World” of Terra Australis, documenting changing perceptions of Australian identity and environmentalism over the last one and a half centuries. Under a Southern Star will be the final exhibition to be held at the Museum’s Art on Hulfish space, which closes in January in preparation for the opening of the new Museum building later in the year.

Organized in partnership with Curatorial Exhibitions and drawn in part from the Farrell Family Australian Photography Collection at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art, the exhibition presents a range of visually arresting photographic techniques, including Lumachrome glass printing and AI animation, to address the impact of colonialism on the region’s cultures and resources. The exhibition particularly highlights the fundamental importance of Aboriginal culture to the Australian experience.  

While highlighting the work of internationally celebrated contemporary artists, Under a Southern Star also features iconic Australian imagery from the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century by artists such as Max Dupain and Harold Cazneaux. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter the cinematic narratives of Tracey Moffatt, the experimental camera-less imagery of Justine Varga, and the humanistic portraiture of Ricky Maynard. Also on view are collaborative works made by the photographer Tobias Titz and artists from Aboriginal communities.

The exhibition explores Australia’s changing environment with haunting landscapes by Anne Zahalka and Rosemary Laing, while ethereal images by Judith Nangala Crispin feature wildlife struck down by human encroachment in the outback. Also included are selections from Vee Speers’s haunting series Guilty Not Guilty, a video installation featuring hand-colored mug shots that reference the country’s convict past.

“Australian photography past and present deserves to be better known globally, and in keeping with the goals we’ve had for Art on Hulfish since its launch three years ago, this exhibition seeks to bring new attention to important bodies of work that in turn contend with such essential issues as colonialism, nationalism, and the environment,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher–David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, Director of the Princeton University Art Museum.

Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography is curated by Deborah Klochko, former executive director and chief curator, Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art; and by Graham Howe, founder and CEO, Curatorial Exhibitions; with independent curator Ashley Lumb. This exhibition was originated by the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, with generous support from the Farrell Family Foundation, and is toured by Curatorial Exhibitions, Pasadena, California.

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About Art on Hulfish

Art on Hulfish showcases a roster of exhibitions led by photography and time-based media that consider issues of profound impact on twenty-first-century life. Located at 11 Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton, it encompasses some 5,500 square feet of space for exhibitions and public programming, ranging from drop-in activities to scheduled work with artists. Admission is free. Launched in December 2021, the gallery is presenting four exhibitions each year through early 2025, during the time when the Museum’s new facility designed by Adjaye Associates is under construction.

Art on Hulfish is made possible by the leadership support of Annette Merle-Smith and Princeton University. Generous support is also provided by William S. Fisher, Class of 1979, and Sakurako Fisher; J. Bryan King, Class of 1993; John Diekman, Class of 1965, and Susan Diekman; Julie and Kevin Callaghan, Class of 1983; Annie Robinson Woods, Class of 1988; Barbara and Gerald Essig; Rachelle Belfer Malkin, Class of 1986, and Anthony E. Malkin; the Curtis W. McGraw Foundation; Jim and Valerie McKinney; Tom Tuttle, Class of 1988, and Mila Tuttle; Nancy A. Nasher, Class of 1976, and David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976; the Len & Laura Berlik Foundation; Gene Locks, Class of 1959, and Sueyun Locks; and Palmer Square Management.

About the Princeton University Art Museum

With a collecting history that extends back to 1755, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country, featuring collections that have grown to include more than 115,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary art and spanning the globe. Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Art Museum also serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world.

The main Museum building is currently closed for the construction of a bold and welcoming new building, slated to open in 2025.

Art on Hulfish, a gallery project of the Art Museum located at 11 Hulfish Street, is open daily. Art@Bainbridge, a gallery project at 158 Nassau Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to both galleries is free.

Please visit the Museum’s website for digital access to the collections, a diverse portfolio of programs, and details on visiting our downtown galleries. The Museum Store in Palmer Square, located at 56 Nassau Street in downtown Princeton, is open daily, or shop online at www.princetonmuseumstore.org.

Media Contact: puam@berlinrosen.com