Solarised Arum Lilies, c1939/1970s printed

Signed and dated “30s” in ink on image lower right

Provenance
Dupain Estate
Rex Dupain, the artist’s son Private collection, Sydney

Image size: 37.8 × 28.6 cm

Framed size: 64 x 53.5 cm

Condition
Pinholes, crinkles, crazing

Exhibitions
A related work was included in the AGNSW 2004 exhibition subtitled Dupain’s work in the context of Man Ray’s influence.

Sister Artwork
A sister edition is held in the State Library of New South Wales.

Dupain was inspired to experiment with different printing techniques, including solarisation, by American photographer Man Ray (1890–1976). His admiration of Man Ray is highlighted in the following statement from the AGNSW 2004 exhibition subtitled Dupain’s work in the context of Man Ray’s influence: “Max Dupain, one of Australia’s great modernist photographers, placed Man Ray’s importance for photography alongside Cézanne’s for painting. Writing for The Home magazine in 1935, Dupain said: ‘He is alone. A pioneer of the 20th century who has crystallised a new experience in light and chemistry.’” Dupain bookended his personal photographic explorations of form with flowers, beginning with his experimentation with surrealist photography such as solarisation and double exposure in the early to mid-1930s and ending with often single light source subjects taken in the studio and in his garden. A sister edition of this solarised image of arum lilies is held in the State Library of New South Wales collection.