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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Tough & Tender

Previous exhibition
from Friday 15 July until Sunday 16 October 2016

Tough & Tender reveals emotional vulnerability and yearning for connection. Art by a group of American and Australian artists from the 1960s to now explore the complexities of personal relations and individual expression – their work is intimate and raw.

Spencer 2016, by Warwick Baker
Photographs by Warwick Baker, Larry Clark, Rozalind Drummond, Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe and Collier Schorr reflect the formative identity of young adulthood and complexities of masculinity and gender, composed with sensitivity and candour. In ground-breaking performance art documented on video, Chris Burden’s physical trials strip back his own persona and the mythic ethos of manhood. 
 
Specific works have been selected from broader oeuvres to create an atmosphere of revelation of subtle emotion and bodily sensation in portrait-related work. 

18 portraits

1 Untitled (42nd Street Series), 1979 , by Larry Clark. 2 Beno 2016 by Warwick Baker. 3 Nan and Brian in bed, New York City 1983 by Nan Goldin. 4 Koko & Kiko (42nd Street Series), 1980 by Larry Clark. 5 Video still from Documentation of Selected Works, 1971-74, by Chris Burden. 6 Vy (Cowsill) 2016 by Rozalind Drummond. 7 Untitled (42nd Street Series), 1979–80, by Larry Clark. 8 Hugh 2015, by Warwick Baker. 9 Benny (42nd Street Series), 1979–80, by Larry Clark.

Related people

Dr Christopher Chapman (curator)

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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