The Presidents: from JFK to Obama by David Burnett

Venue: Gasworks
Location: 21 Graham Street, Albert Park, VIC 3206
7 Jun - 26 Jun, 2016
Web: http://www.gasworks.org.au/whats-on/the-presidents-exhibition/

© David Burnett. President Barack Obama and wife Michelle take a brief break for ice cream after speaking at a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa, 2013.

Leading American photojournalist, David Burnett is one of the very few photographers to have photographed all US Presidents since John F. Kennedy. In 1963, Burnett’s final year of high school, his mother took him to see Kennedy speak in downtown Salt Lake City. A chance moment and a borrowed camera led to a lifelong career. He began working as a freelancer for Time Magazine, and later for Life, in the 1960s.

He co-founded Contact Press Images in 1976 with Robert Pledge and has worked in over 70 countries. His many awards in a long career include the Robert Capa Gold Medal, multiple World Press Photo Awards and World Press Photo of the Year. This work was originally presented at the Australian Centre for Photography in partnership with Reportage Festival.

© David Burnett. Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, with their interpreters, during their first summit, Geneva, 1985.

© David Burnett. Jimmy Carter addresses a small crowd in the kitchen of a volunteer before the New Hampshire primary, 1976

© David Burnett. Bill Clinton, during his re-election campaign, at an event in Springfield, MA, 1996.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

February

Trent Parke: The Christmas tree bucket

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT 2600 | 2 Feb - 6 Sep, 2026

March

Mervyn Bishop: Close Up

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

1 Shakespeare Place Sydney NSW 2000 State Library of NSW | 1 Mar, 2026 - 7 Feb, 2027

On the street where I live: Viva Gibb's portrait of North and West Melbourne

Melbourne: 5 March – 7 August 2026. Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, artist and social documentary photographer Viva Gibb (1945-2017) documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived.

110 Swanston St Melbourne 3000 City Gallery – Melbourne Town Hall | 5 Mar - 7 Aug, 2026

May

PIX – The magazine that changed everything (1938-1972)

Sydney: Until 16 August 2026. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney State Library of NSW | 1 May - 16 Aug, 2026

Rehearsing the City exhibition

Melbourne: Until March 2027. Rehearsing the City presents archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers.

99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne VIC, Australia Victorian Archives Centre and Gallery | 21 May, 2026 - 31 Mar, 2027

Drew Hopper: West of Somewhere East

Coffs Harbour: 28 May – 29 June 2026. West Of Somewhere East is a photographic series tracing a cinematic journey through the interior of New South Wales, shaped by long drives, fleeting encounters, and the reflective rhythm of return.

27 Gordon Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Yarrila Arts and Museum | 28 May - 28 Jun, 2026

June

World Press Sydney

Sydney: June 6 – 19 July 2026. The World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 is returning to the State Library of New South Wales from 6 June to 19 July, offering Sydney audiences an uncompromising view of of the unending challenges that humans, and our planet face.

1 Shakespeare Place Sydney NSW 2000 State Library of NSW | 6 Jun - 19 Jul, 2026

BROOK ANDREW | ROLLERCOASTER: winhangadurinya in motion

Melbourne: 6 June – 20 August 2026. Brook Andrew is an artist whose conceptual practice shifts across photography, performance, moving image, installation, public space and research, often through deep collaboration with artists, communities and friends.

860 Ferntree Gully Road Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 Museum of Australian Photography | 6 Jun - 30 Aug, 2026

We Built A House Out Of Water – Peta Duncan

Melbourne: 6 June – 28 June 2-26. We Built a House Out of Water is a deeply personal body of work that draws on memory, family, and culture – while understanding healing as an ongoing process.

33 Saxon Street Brunswick. VIC Blak Dot Gallery | 6 Jun - 28 Jun, 2026

Resurrect : Dylan Negri

Melbourne: 26 June – 2 August. Through analogue photographic processes, Dylan Negri aims to immortalised fragments of life that would otherwise disintegrate.

Panther Place, Eltham, Victoria Eltham Library Community Gallery. | 26 Jun - 2 Aug, 2026