The first Aboriginal female photojournalist of her calibre in Australia, Barbara McGrady’s photographs present a previously unseen perspective on key political and social events. McGrady’s career spans more than thirty years. Her photographs are important historical documents of the political and social events experienced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and families of the Redfern, Surry Hills and Waterloo communities.

As visual records, our understanding of a photographic image is shaped by our own social and personal position within a history. As a Gomeroi/Gamilaraay woman, McGrady offers a unique and valued perspective on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continued struggle for recognition, alongside their significant contribution to Australian life through sport, performance and culture.

Barbara McGrady, Black Lives Matter Sydney Town Hall July 2016, 2016

About the Artist
Sydney-based McGrady is originally from the north west of NSW and Southern Queensland. The artist has been documenting contemporary Aboriginal history since the 1970s. Her works include the iconic images of world champion Aboriginal boxer Anthony “Choc” Mundine, the Koori Knockout Carnival (one of the biggest Indigenous gatherings in Australia) and the Sista Girls of Mardi Gras. In 2020, McGrady was profiled in NIRIN, Biennale of Sydney, at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Curator
The exhibition is guest-curated by Sandy Edwards as part of the ACP’s Carte Blanche Program.

Exhibition Details
ACP’s Project Space Gallery, 3 November – 9 December 2017