Photograph of Mirka Mora by Bruno Benini
Object No. 2009/43/1-2/83
This black and white photographic portrait of Australian artist Mirka Mora was taken by the Italian-born Melbourne-based fashion photographer, Bruno Benini in 1974. It is part of the Bruno Benini photography archive (1950-2001) acquired by the Powerhouse Museum with funding assistance from the Commonwealth Government's National Cultural Heritage Account. While the Benini archive contains mostly fashion shots taken between 1950 and the mid-1980s which capture the changing mood of these decades, it also includes a suite of important portraits of actors, writers, dancers, designers and artists like this classic shot of Mirka Mora from the 1970s. Around the same time that Benini photographed Mirka, she also took a portrait of Bruno peering out from one of her dolls houses, and that image is also part of the Benini archive. Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator 2009
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Summary
Object Statement
Photographic print, portrait, black and white, mounted on card, portrait of Mirka Mora, photograph by Bruno Benini, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1974
Physical Description
Photographic print, portrait, black and white, mounted on card, portrait of Mirka Mora, photograph by Bruno Benini, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1974 Portrait of artist Mirka Mora, holding one of her dolls, with dolls in background. On reverse, upper centre, written in pencil, 'ARTIST MIRKA MORA IN HER STUDIO WITH HER DOLLS / JULY '74 / PRINTED 1974', upper left, written in pencil, '74' in circle twice.
DIMENSIONS
Height
589 mm
Width
495 mm
Depth
2 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
If Bruno Benini particularly liked a shot he would make a print or as Hazel Benini recalled 'create a blow-up and then put it up on his studio wall'. The walls of the studio were covered with these 20 x 24 inch prints. Unfortunately, some of these prints were damaged over the years and thrown out. In her private file of personal shots Hazel Benini has some photographs showing these studio walls. The archive also contains some references to this wall.
HISTORY
Notes
This object is part of the Bruno Benini photography archive which was acquired by the Powerhouse Museum with the assistance of the Australian Government's National Cultural Heritage Account in 2009. If Bruno Benini particularly liked a shot he'd taken, he would make a print or as Hazel Benini recalled, 'create a blow-up and then put it up on his studio wall'. The walls of the studio foyer were covered with these, mostly 20 x 24 inch, prints. Some of the prints were damaged over the years and thrown out, however many remain, with corner pin holes intact. This may be one of those prints. The Benini archive contains photographs showing how the Benini's displayed these prints in the foyer of the studio.
SOURCE
Acquisition Date
19 June 2009
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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