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

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.

Jewel-like portraits predominate. Grounded in her strong social and political convictions, Gibb created a sympathetic portrait of the community during a transformative period in Melbourne’s history.

The exhibition is comprised of over 250 photographs, half of which are the artist’s original silver gelatin prints. It draws on a generous donation of more than 200 of Gibb’s photographs to Melbourne Art Trust in 2025.

'On the street where I live' examines this significant body of work and re-introduces the sophisticated practice of an artist whose photographs have largely lain dormant for 30 years.

Curator Talk

City Gallery will be open on Sat 14 March 10am–4pm, with a curator talk at 11am.

• Organised by: City of Melbourne
• Contact name: Savannah Smith
• Email: savannah.smith@melbourne.vic.gov.au