c



 

6 May - 24 July 2011
at Special Exhibitions
National Portrait Gallery
King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600

Admission: Free
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Info: (02) 6102 7000or 
http://www.portrait.gov.au/site/exhibition_subsite_innerworlds.php

Curator: Dr Christopher Chapman

The uncanny timing of the current ͚special͛ exhibition, ›



› ›

  at the
National Portrait Gallery does make one momentarily pause, reflect and wonder that if perhaps, Dr
Chapman had any (͞insiders͟) knowledge of the lucrative government funding abound in mental health
services prior to its surprised announcement for this year͛s Federal Budget in early May; or in actual fact
(as indicated on the Nick Mourtzakis͛ statement of his work, È 
) that the exhibition
was predicated on the Gallery͛s commissioning of David Chalmer͛s portrait (known among many with an
even a remote interests in psychology as ›
 

 





based at the
Australian National University). But in all seriousness, who really knows and if truth be told; does it 

matter, Anna?

Whichever way you look at it, Inner Worlds attempts to explore the unique psychological phenomenon
when ͞key moments of connection between portraiture and psychology͟ exists, or to put it more
eloquently, the merging of two disparate worlds: one of psychology, the other of portraiture; to form an
eclectic collection of facial expressions depicting ͞the relationship between mental processes and
behavior[s]͟ :)

Chapman͛s Inner Worlds voyages through the workings of ͞the subconscious mind and intense mental
states͟ with pieces of its mnemonic remnants cast along the panes of gentle green sea. Showcasing the
works of portraiture from pioneering shrinks, to mental health patients (as part of the Cunningham Dax
Collection), to Dr Chalmers (howdy), to the ever popular and influential artists of Sidney Nolan, Albert
Tucker and Joy Hester (my favourites); as well as the more contemporary ones, in this instance, Mike
Parr and Dale Frank (also my favourites) and (not to mention) Anna Ferran; Inner Worlds befits amusing
and insightful narratives of those who find themselves lost in the seas of consciousness with those
watching them just drifting by. Or in the words of Anne Ferran, who poses the question in her workc




:   ›
 › 
   ›



I pose the question to you, Anna͙. 

›
 ››


This exhibition house only a sparing collection of works of this nature but covers the girth of eras from
World War I to the 1950s to the late 90s. Works worth mentioning are: Albert Tucker͛s
 series of
1942 as well as his evocative masterpiece 


in that same year; Joy Hester͛s 
 


  ! "# (as part of her own therapeutic recovery from radiotheraphy for Hodgkin͛s lymphoma);
Dale Frank͛s 
    $

%
  $
& ' [Dutch curator and writer]       
  
$ (; and (last but not least) Mike Parr͛s digital screening of )
 (
(who inhales etchings of his self portraits to his face a hundred times to depict the transient nature and
fluidity of the self images he possesses). 

This exhibition ends in mid-July with the concluding lecture series on this Saturday 4 June of John
McClean and Reg Hook͛s presentation of Inner Worlds and psychoanalysis at 2pm (at the gallery); and is
sure to travel to a series of metropolitan galleries along the East Coast.

And, of course, while you͛re there, have a cuppa, browse at the Gift Shop before checking out Stuart
Campbell͛s portrait collection titled, ß)


 *   +, at the Marilyn Darling Gallery. It͛s a
wonderful treat for a lazy Sunday afternoon.