Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol

Venue: National Portrait Gallery
Location: National Portrait Gallery
20 Jun - 23 Aug, 2015
Web: http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/rod-mcnicol-2015

Australian photographer Rod McNicol has consistently analysed the passing of time through the evidence of the photographic portrait. This exhibtions is developed in partnership with the Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne.

Maryan, 2010, from the series, Newcomers to my village.
© Rod McNicol. — Maryan, 2010, from the series, Newcomers to my village. © Rod McNicol.

About the artist

Australian photographer Rod McNicol was born in 1946. At once confronting and tender, McNicol’s portrait photographs are bold and intimate. McNicol founded The Photographers Gallery in South Yarra Melbourne in 1975. He was awarded the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2012 for his portrait of Indigenous actor, Jack Charles.

Organised by: National Portrait Gallery

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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