From the series High Jinks in the Hydrangeas 2017,
The seismic changes in the world during 2020 and 2021 signified a change in practice and approach for Tamara Dean – culminating in the series High Jinks in the Hydrangeas. Shown in 2021 as the first solo exhibition at both the Southern Highlands’ new gallery Ngununggula and Michael Reid Southern Highlands, the series turns the camera inwards on Dean herself as the figure in nature. While primarily figurative, High Jinks in the Hydrangeas serves as a universal portrait of sorts, a psychological symbol of humans interacting within a landscape. As she noted in her artist statement for the series: ‘Here I am the figure, I am the photographer, I am the director, it is my narrative. This series is the culmination of everything I have learnt as a photographer. It’s the woman I’d like to be.’
The power and resilience of women underpins her work, and Dean represents strong women of all ages in her images, including herself. ‘I’ve selected the people I photograph based on the strengths that I see in them. I suppose that is an interesting link to the work that I’ve made now in that I’ve used myself. Maybe I’ve known that that’s what I look to portray, so I’ve had to delve into myself to find my own strength in this body of work.’
There is a certain mystery in portraiture that doesn’t show the face. It can almost be more powerful in allowing the viewer to form their own narrative without relying on facial expression as a directive. Dean sees strength in both approaches.
High Jinks in the Hydrangeas, 2020
$9,500 – $11,500
From the series High Jinks in the Hydrangeas 2017,
The seismic changes in the world during 2020 and 2021 signified a change in practice and approach for Tamara Dean – culminating in the series High Jinks in the Hydrangeas. Shown in 2021 as the first solo exhibition at both the Southern Highlands’ new gallery Ngununggula and Michael Reid Southern Highlands, the series turns the camera inwards on Dean herself as the figure in nature. While primarily figurative, High Jinks in the Hydrangeas serves as a universal portrait of sorts, a psychological symbol of humans interacting within a landscape. As she noted in her artist statement for the series: ‘Here I am the figure, I am the photographer, I am the director, it is my narrative. This series is the culmination of everything I have learnt as a photographer. It’s the woman I’d like to be.’
The power and resilience of women underpins her work, and Dean represents strong women of all ages in her images, including herself. ‘I’ve selected the people I photograph based on the strengths that I see in them. I suppose that is an interesting link to the work that I’ve made now in that I’ve used myself. Maybe I’ve known that that’s what I look to portray, so I’ve had to delve into myself to find my own strength in this body of work.’
There is a certain mystery in portraiture that doesn’t show the face. It can almost be more powerful in allowing the viewer to form their own narrative without relying on facial expression as a directive. Dean sees strength in both approaches.
