Olive Cotton and her contemporaries

A National Gallery of Australia Touring Exhibition presented as part of the Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program.

Olive Cotton and her contemporaries is the last venue of an exclusive exhibition tour.

Olive Cotton (1911‒2003) is now recognised as one of Australia's most significant photographers, especially notable for her images that draw attention to the immersive qualities of photography.

For the first time, this exhibition brings together Cotton's photographs and the work of her leading international peers. These include outstanding works from the national collection by key modernist photographers such as Dora Maar, Berenice Abbot, Lucia Moholy, Edward Weston, and Tina Modotti. These are some of the most celebrated figures in international photography, and provide a perfect context for appreciating Cotton's great work.

Olive Cotton and her contemporaries is part of a program of touring exhibitions drawing on the National Gallery's outstanding photography collection. The program is fully supported by the Bowness Family Foundation, and sees some of the most significant photographs by Australian and International artists tour to regional venues across Australia. The program seeks to elevate awareness of the significant cultural influence of photography in Australia, and to provide communities with access to the best of the history of Australian and international photography.

Curators: Shaune Lakin, National Gallery, Senior Curator, Photography and Anne O'Hehir, National Gallery, Curator, Photography