National Photographic Portrait Prize 2013

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 has just opened at the National Portrait Gallery and it is well worth a visit.

The photographic portrait prize is now in its 6th year and exposes us to a different view of photography. The final 53 entries on display are representative of over 1200 entries that were received from both professional and amateur photographers from around the nation as they competed for the $25000 prize.

For many people the notion of a photo portrait may seem every day. We see them constantly as people document their lives on Facebook and Twitter however The National Photographic Portrait Prize challenges our perception of the portrait.

Does a portrait need to show a face – or a person at all – and what can a portrait tell us about a person and their situation, history, pride and struggles?

There are images in this exhibition that challenge these notions; images of the proud, the vulnerable, those on the margins of society who choose to conceal their identity and those whose determination is shown in their eyes. There are constructed images that sometimes distract and sometimes illuminate. When we see famous faces in different situations we see a different person to the public persona.

Every photo in the final selection has a story to tell, from the difficulty of aging, to examinations in new ways of familiar people. Mixed in amongst photos of Chris Lilley, Rowan Atkinson and Reg Mombasa are photos of the ordinary lives of people. The photos force us to look in different ways, beyond the surface.

The finalists are on show at the National Portrait Gallery in the parliamentary triangle until 19 May after which the exhibition will then tour to the Blue Mountains, Grafton Regional Gallery, Roma

on Bungil Gallery  and Caboolture Regional Art Gallery. Entry is free to all venues.