Unbodied
Gabrielle Hall-Lomax
22 May–15 Jun 2024
Unbodied, draws from a personal medical struggle and subsequent diagnosis, sparking a conversation on the historically complex and often misunderstood nature of women’s bodies and health. It considers the historical lens through which their physical and mental health has been viewed, a lens often clouded by misogyny and myth surrounding 'female nature’.
Within the series, the age-old narratives of hysteria, witchcraft, and other damaging myths become points of inquiry. These archaic constructs, once used to police and pathologies women's bodies, linger subtly within Western healthcare today, affecting diagnosis and treatment.
Unbodied employs photography, moving image and performative self-portraiture to confront these misinterpretations. The work deepens the conversation by layering these elements with archival material concerning representations of women’s health, presenting an interdisciplinary exploration across different periods and societal contexts. It probes into how these historical perceptions persist and influence the contemporary understanding of our bodies.
Lumen printing workshop
Saturday 1 June 2-4pm.
This interactive session introduces lumen printing, an early photographic process using sunlight and photosensitive materials to produce images. Participants will grasp the basics, then craft their own prints with materials provided, reflecting the exhibition's themes.
Workshop will run for 2 hours. 12 places.
Please register your attendance here.
Unbodied combines photography, moving imagery, and installation to interrogate historical and contemporary perceptions of women's health. Drawing from a personal medical experience, the exhibition challenges enduring societal myths and their subtle influence on western healthcare, prompting a critical discourse on the complexity and often misunderstood nature of women's bodies.
This program takes place on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded - this land is stolen land. We pay respects to Wurundjeri Elders, past, present and emerging, to the Elders from other communities and to any other Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders who might encounter or participate in the program.
Gabrielle Hall-Lomax, a photographer and curator, operates from Ngunnawal/Canberra to Naarm/Melbourne. Her practice is rooted in an autobiographical context and primarily deconstructs perceptions of identity, femininity, and cultural histories through photography, moving image, and installation.
She earned a BA in Fine Art from RMIT and a Master's in Arts and Cultural Management from the University of Melbourne. In 2023, Gabrielle was an Olive Cotton Award finalist and appeared in Der Greif's 16th issue, "Common Love," curated by Shirin Neshat. She is currently a Creative Resident at the Centre for Contemporary Photography.
Gabrielle leads photography workshops in analogue film processing and printing, as well as experimental darkroom practices.