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.

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April

Fit to Print: Defining Moments from the Fairfax Photo Archive

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Parkes Place West, Parkes Canberra The National Library | 1 Apr - 20 Jul, 2025

New Light: Photography Now + Then

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Level 3, Brisbane City Hall King George Square, Brisbane 4000 Museum of Brisbane. Level 3 City Hall. | 1 Apr - 13 Jul, 2025

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

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. 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 Apr - 31 Dec, 2025

Max Dupain – Student Life

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, University Place, Camperdown Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum | 1 Apr - 29 Jun, 2025

May

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

2 Murray St Darling Harbour, Sydney Australian National Maritime Museum | 15 May - 19 Oct, 2025

Sam Contis: Moving Landscape

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

Perth Cultural Centre, WA 6000 The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) | 31 May - 28 Sep, 2025