Art Forum: Ella Dreyfus

Wednesday 25 September, 1–2pm, Black Theatre 

Dr Ella Dreyfus is a senior lecturer and Head of Public Programs at the National Art School. In this talk she discusses her longitudinal series of photographs of a
team of young soccer players that began with Under Twelves in 2005, followed seven years later by Under Twelve, Under Twenty in 2012 and the current
iteration Under Twenty-Seven in 2019. Her black and white portraits portray representations of masculinity in contemporary culture and demonstrate a
particular sensitivity to the experiences of this group of young men. The triple portraits, taken at ages eleven, eighteen and twenty-five, are a meditation on
beauty, intimacy and masculine development, and are a sobering reminder of the passing of time.

Dreyfus is well known for her photographic exhibitions and monographs that engage with representations of the human body at times of change, endeavouring to capture and empower those whose bodies do not confirm to dominant aesthetic standards of beauty. Hovering between fine art and documentary photography, Dreyfus’ images embrace the ordinary, striking a rich source of humanity, compassion and emotional resonance. Her work is situated in a field of contemporary art known as ‘the aesthetics of intimacy’ (Dreyfus, PhD thesis, 2012), and reflects the way artworks can provide intimate and aesthetic encounters in gallery spaces, leading to new relationships between the artists, subjects and spectators.

Image: Courtesy Ella Dreyfus