John McRae – Lip Service
Solo exhibition of recent photographs at ACAF ART TERMINAL, St Leonards, Sydney
Curated by Jonathan Turner
February 22-May 16, 2014
Known to many for his revealing portrait of Margaret Olley, Sydney photographer John McRae has combined a successful commercial career with his work as a photographic artist.
The male gaze is a minefield, and McRae uses this theme to question issues of gender, sexuality and physical attraction. Best known for his hard-hitting portraiture, McRae presents “Lip Service”, a solo show as part of the inaugural exhibition at the new ACAF art space in St Leonards, North Sydney.
In his exploration of the dualistic concept of masculinity/femininity, McRae’s portraits tease our obsession with self. He treats his subjects with dignity, yet there is always an underlying sense of furtive play, and intimate invitation.
The show includes portraits of dancers, athletes and models spot-lit against dark backgrounds, taken in Malta, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Rome, New York and Sydney. In this era of visual short-cuts and commercial exploitation, McRae realizes that the objectification of the male form can go both ways. He sometimes mixes his portraits with religious symbolism and photographs of meat displayed in markets. He pits attitudes towards “sins of the flesh” against the spiritual short-hand of instant intolerance often proposed by opposing religions.
“Lip Service” also features recent images of McRae’s long-time collaborator, the Olympic gold-medal diver Matthew Mitcham. For eight years, McRae has been documenting Mitcham’s development from an uncertain youth to a self-confident, international sportsman. Mitcham reveals himself to be an accomplished actor, at ease with projection of physical prowess and emotional vulnerability.
The atmosphere in McRae’s photography is purposely heightened. His work spans staged photography and sequential narrative, as represented by his brand-new, eye-catching multiple pictures.
This includes Lip-Service – Diego, a grid of close-ups showing a handsome Italian fitness-trainer making a series of over-exaggerated facial expressions. Diego re-enacts many emotions – from “Surprise”, to “Joy”, to “Confusion”, to “Anger”. It is as though the viewer is lip-reading the passionate conversation of an overly expressive Italian man, trapped in an eternal passport-photo booth.
Organized by Rome-based curator Jonathan Turner, John McRae’s latest exhibition pulls all the punches.
Alongside Lip Service, ACAF (Australia China Art Foundation) presents Degeneration, a largescale show of works incorporating video, photography, animation, painting and sculpture by 10 Chinese contemporary artists and film-makers. Degeneration is curated by Shanghai-based Italian art critic Mariagrazia Costantino, featuring recent works by Chen Wei, Chen Zhou, Chen Ran, Guan Xiao, Hu Yun, Li Ming, Li Ran, Lu Yang, Ma Qiusha and Ye Linghan, never seen before in Australia.