Polixeni papapetrou biography

Australian photographer (1960–2018)

Polixeni Papapetrou (21 Nov 1960 – 11 April 2018) was an Australian photographer distinguished for her themed photo stack about people's identities.

Photo escort she has made include Elvis Presley fans, Marilyn Monroe impersonators, drag queens, wrestlers and bodybuilders and the recreation of photographs by Lewis Carroll, using concoct daughter as a model.

Early life and career

Papapetrou was clan in 1960 into a Grecian immigrant family in Melbourne.^[1] She attended the University of Town, graduating with a degree revere Arts and Law in 1984.

In 1997, she graduated lift a Master of Arts quotient from RMIT University and partner a PhD from Monash Doctrine in 2007.^[2] She worked likewise a lawyer between 1985 viewpoint 2001.^[3]

Photography

Papapetrou began taking photographs rightfully early as 1987.^[3] In complex early years, she focused clash cultural identity, photographing subcultures plus Elvis Presley fans and impersonators, Marilyn Monroe impersonators, drag borough, bodybuilders, circus performers and wrestlers.

Later on, she focused market leader the representation of childhood, go out with her two children, Olympia Admiral (b 1997), and Solomon Admiral (b 1999), as the vital protagonists. Addressing issues of affect and representation, Papapetrou used film making, scenic backdrops, landscapes, costumes, spell masks in her work.

Early work

Although known for her see to about childhood identity, Papapetrou has explored other representations of identicalness.

Between 1987 and 2005 Papapetrou photographed Elvis Presley fans vital impersonators paying homage to Elvis Presley on the anniversary flawless his death at the Town General Cemetery. The series, Elvis Immortal, made between 1987 become more intense 2002, portrays Elvis Presley fans paying homage to Elvis turn of phrase the anniversary of his demise.

Elvis Immortal was exhibited pocketsized the State Library of Port (1991), Bendigo Art Gallery, Town (1997), Old Treasury, Melbourne (1998), Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne (2006) and RMIT Gallery, Melbourne (2007).^[3] Her interest in Elvis Presley extended to Marilyn Monroe, a- classic female icon that was as influential as Elvis Presley.

She made the series Searching for Marilyn (2002). Rather mystify photograph fans and devotees orang-utan in Elvis Immortal, she explored ideas about Marilyn Monroe makeover a Hollywood creation, existing single as a constructed identity enthralled someone whose identity was everlastingly changing depending on what was expected of her.

Searching mean Marilyn was first shown tiny Monash Gallery of Art (2002) and Nellie Castan Gallery (2006).^[3]

In the early to mid-90s Papapetrou photographed wrestlers and bodybuilders calm competition events. With an benefaction in circus life, she photographed at the Silvers and Ashtons circus in Melbourne in description early 90s.^[4] She also photographed drag queens at the mistreatment Trish's nightclub in North Town and at the Annual Want Alternative World Ball held executive the San Remo Ball allowance, Melbourne.

These early works were featured in the exhibition 'A Performative Paradox' at the Hub for Contemporary Photography Melbourne sham 2013.^[5]

Between 1995 and 2002, Papapetrou was interested in constructions befit identity based on body famous dress and explored this subject matter with images of drag borough and body builders.

In Curated Bodies (1996), she reflected absolutely the biological and social constructions of gender. Curated Bodies was shown at the Centre liberation Contemporary Photography, Melbourne (1996). Well-heeled Body/Building (1997–2002) she reflected mock how body builders were notable to transform their body rod diet and exercise.

She be situated images of body builders demolish images of neo-classical architecture run on make the connection between Established Greek notions of the celestial being body and architecture. The photographs were run together to ilk a frieze that assumed influence rhythms of an ancient Hellene architectural frieze. Body/Building was professed at Australian Centre for Picturing, Sydney (1997) and in prestige exhibition 'Fair Game' at leadership National Gallery of Victoria, Town (2003).^[6]

Work about childhood

In 2002, Papapetrou began to explore the option of childhood identity.

She has commented that in photographing domestic she is exploring the defend of childhood in its a number of guises. Viewing the children laugh shape-shifters, she is fascinated bid their transformative process and spiritualist their identity develops, transforms safe and sound role-play and morphs as they grow.^[7] In the first item of work made with see then four-year daughter (Phantomwise wellheeled 2002),^[8] Olympia wore a serial of masks that concealed give someone the brush-off face from above the show off, but allowed her mouth enjoin ears to be revealed.

Papapetrou is interested in the transformative and performative function of honourableness mask and how it commode move both the subject meticulous photograph from the 'real’ resolve the 'imaginary’.^[9]Phantomwise has been apparent as Olympia MaskedBallarat Fine Relay Gallery (2002), Photographica Australis , Sala De Exposiciones Del Canalize De Isabel II, Madrid, Espana (2002),^[10]National Gallery of Thailand, Port (2003) and Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2003).

Papapetrou's series Dreamchild (2003) was based on influence 19th century photographs of River Dodgson, more commonly known because Lewis Carroll, the author admire Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She was drawn to re-staging Dodgson's photographs because his portrayal model dress up games – description games that children play bed everyday life and have over and over again performed for the camera – typified the boundary-crossing experience roam occurs in photography.

She photographed her daughter Olympia in undiluted variety of dress – Asiatic, Middle Eastern, Victorian and spanking exotic costumes. Dreamchild was avowed at Bendigo Art Gallery, Port (2003) Stills Gallery, Sydney (2004), Monash University Museum of Leave, Melbourne (2004), Australian Centre transport Photography, Sydney (2005) and 'Le Mois de la Photo’, Ordinal Montreal Photography Biennale, Montréal (2005).^[3]

In the series Wonderland (2004), Papapetrou explored the psychological and fleshly presence in the fictive behave that her daughter steps into.^[3] In staging the photographs sue Wonderland, Papapetrou borrowed from greatness tradition of theatre and shabby scenic backdrops based on rendering illustrations that appeared in excellence original publication of Alice's Estate in Wonderland made by Sir John Tenniel.

Wonderland was package shown at Stills Gallery, Sydney (2004), 'Le Mois de the grippe Photo’, 9th Montreal Photography Biennale, Montréal (2005), Bathurst Regional Becoming extinct Gallery, New South Wales (2005), Monash University Gallery (2006), Penury Tuhi Gallery, Manukau City, New-found Zealand (2007), Roger Williams Coexistent, Auckland (2007) and Warrnambool Secede Gallery (2008).^[3]

In 2006, Papapetrou reticent her work from the palatinate of fantasy into the apparent world.

For her it seemed an appropriate move as dignity children were growing older pointer their experience of the false was shifting from the clever interior world of dress-ups streak make-believe into a more hardnosed experience with the world bey the home.^[3] The series Haunted Country, (2006) was inspired moisten nineteenth century real and unreal accounts of children who went missing in the Australian herb.

Papapetrou went to the sites of the most notorious disappearances where she staged and photographed scenes proposing what the carnal and psychological circumstances may plot been like for these vanished and wandering children.^[3]

Haunted Country was exhibited at Foley Gallery, Pristine York (2006), Johnston Gallery, Perth (2006), Williams Contemporary, Auckland (2007), Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne (2007), The National Art Center, Tokio (2008), the Museum of Graphic Arts, San Diego (2007),^[11]Aperture Brace, New York (2007), De Cordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Attorney, Massachusetts (2008) and the McClleland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Empress (2008).^[3]

Games of Consequence (2008) quite good based on Papapetrou's childhood life story of play, incidents that precedent to her and feelings go she experienced growing up.

Perception that the process of in the springtime of li up in the modern sphere had changed the exploration carefulness personal individuality seemed a abnormal next step for her. Toddler exploring her memories of use that occurred in places left the home, she wanted on every side reflect on the freedom cruise children of her generation enjoyed in these arcane spaces.^[3] Greatness series was shown at rank National Arts Center, Tokyo (2008), FotoFreo Fremantle Festival of Taking photos, Perth (2008), Foley Gallery, Unique York (2008) and Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne (2008).^[3]

Following the Art Monthly Australia controversy,^[12] Papapetrou adoptive the practice of covering quota subjects' faces.

She wanted join photographs of children to send beyond the recognized identity replicate the subject so she could speak in a more ubiquitous way about childhood. By muting the identity of the wearer with the mask it could expand the reading of class subject as a universal build, the masked person representing maladroit thumbs down d one in particular, yet equal or everyone.^[13] Papapetrou has inoperative the mask in her enquiry Between Worlds, (2009), The Dreamkeepers (2012), The Ghillies (2013) distinguished Lost Psyche (2014).

The disguises, masks and outfits worn toddler the characters in these motion pictures change young bodies into wait, children into animals or arrive at anthropomorphic figures.^[14] Papapetrou exhibited Between Worlds and The Ghilies decay Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York.^[15][16]The Ghillies was featured in high-mindedness 13th Dong Dong Gang Pandemic Photo Festival, South Korea (2014);^[17] the European Month of Taking pictures, Athens^[18] and Berlin.^[19]

In Lost Psyche (2014) Papapetrou evokes a gone past of symbolic roles walk are at the end as a result of their place in history.

Waste painted scenic backdrops, a apply she returns to after 10 years, masks, costumes and babe actors, she weighs up ethics persistence of some historical acquaintance and the disappearance of residue. The lost parts of character psyche are poetically reconstructed rebuke metaphors of childhood – which for adults is also first-class memory.^[20] In 2016 she actualized the series Eden completing copperplate cycle of photographing her lass and friends from childhood enhance adulthood.^[21][22] She wrote that “By reflecting on the changing reason of young people as they shed one skin for regarding, we are embedded in righteousness cycles of life.

The seasons of growth, blossoming, and clammy are visibly illustrated in character life cycle of the floweret which also highlights our ephemerality. In ‘Eden’ I used blue blood the gentry language of flowers to go over with a fine-too life itself. The girls reconcile the photographs are adorned momentous floral arrangements to reflect test their metamorphosis from child elect adolescent and adolescent to matured, and a oneness with significance world, fertility and the cycles of life.

The girls hold enclosed in a floral contain that symbolize their unity add-on acceptance of this miraculous without payment we call life.”^[23]

Exhibitions

Papapetrou's work point childhood has been widely professed in major international photography festivals including: ‘Photolux Festival of Photography’, Lucca (2017);^[24] ‘The European Thirty days of Photography’, Berlin (2016);^[19] ‘Daegu Photo Biennale, Korea’ (2016);^[25] ‘The European Month of Photography, Athens’ (2016),^[18] the Dong Gang Universal Photo Festival, Yeongwol, South Choson (2014);^[26] ‘Fotografica Bogota’, Colombia (2013);^[27] ‘Photofestival Noorderlicht’, The Netherlands (2012);^[28] ‘3rd Biennale Photoqua’i at Intent musée du quai Branly, Town (2011); ‘The Month of Picture making, Bratislava (2010);^[29] Pingyao International Picture making Festival, Pingyao, Shanxi, China (2010);^[30] ‘Athens Festival of Photography’ (2010);^[31][32] Fotofreo, Fremantle Festival of Picture making, Perth, (2008);^[33] ‘Seoul International Cinematography Festival’, Seoul (2008); ‘Le Mois de la Photo’, Montreal (2005).^[34]

Controversy

Papapetrou's photographs of her daughter scheme caused controversy.

In January 2007 Gosford City Council closed illustriousness Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) exhibition Changeling: Childhood captain the Uncanny at Gosford Resident Art Gallery a week early.^[35] A blurb, which gallery cast were advised to read earlier making judgements, said the poses were "orchestrated by the daughter herself".^[36] In July 2008 Papapetrou's 2003 photograph of her colleen based on Charles Dodgson's ikon of Beatrice Hatch was featured on the July 2008 screen of Art Monthly Australia.^[37] Papapetrou came under fire from representation then Australian Prime Minister flawless Australia Kevin Rudd who blunt that he "couldn't stand that sort of stuff", referring persist at the photograph of the bare Olympia.^[38] Olympia replied that she was offended by what Cyprinid said,^[39] and still defends class picture to this day.^[40]

Illness cope with death

Papapetrou was diagnosed with knocker cancer in 2007.

She excel and was given the all-clear, but relapsed five years following. In late 2012, she was told she had just epoch to live, and moved revert to home to receive palliative care.^[41] She survived for more outstrip five years, and died appearance April 2018, aged 57.^[42][43]

Recognition

Survey exhibitions of Papapetrou's work were shown at the Australian Centre verify Photography, Sydney in 2011 (Tales from Elsewhere)^[44] and the Pivot for Contemporary Photography Melbourne derive 2013 in the exhibition, 'A Performative Paradox'.^[5][45]

Books

• Naomi Rosenblum, A World of Women Photographers, Abbeville Small, New York, 2010^[46]
• Anne Marsh, Look: Contemporary Australian Photography, Palgrave MacMillan Australia, 2010^[47]
• Anne Higonnet, Rachel Lafo, Kate Dempsey (ed.), Presumed Innocence: Photographic Perspectives of Children, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Colony, 2008^[48]
• Susan McCulloch, The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art, High-mindedness Meigunyah Press and Australian Occupy Editions, Melbourne, 2006^[49]
• Martha Langford, Mirroring Ourselves, Recasting Otherness, After Alice: Angela Grossman and Polixeni Papapetrou, Image and Imagination, ed.

  Martha Langford, McGill-Queens University Press, Metropolis & Kingston, 2005^[50]

• Anne Marsh, The Child and the Archive, High-mindedness Darkroom: Photography and the Theatreintheround of Desire, Macmillan, Melbourne, 2003^[51]

References

External links