Skip to main content
Menu

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.

Lads #2, Some Lads #3, Some Lads #4 and Some Lads #5 Tracey Moffatt. © Tracey Moffatt. Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

The Gallery thanks you for your donations towards the acquisition of Some Lads #2, Some Lads #3, Some Lads #4 and Some Lads #5 by Tracey Moffatt. We would be grateful for any support you may like to provide toward the acquisition of future works.

Stephen Page on 'Some Lads'
Video: 4 minutes

In 1998, acclaimed artist Tracey Moffatt gifted her portrait Some Lads #1 (Russell Page) to the National Portrait Gallery. A black and white photograph of young dancer and actor Russell Page, from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh Nation of south-east Queensland, it was one of the first two photographs acquired for the national collection. Twenty-five years later we have the extraordinary opportunity to acquire the full body of work, adding Some Lads #2, Some Lads #3, Some Lads #4 and Some Lads #5 to the collection.

Moffatt took Some Lads #1 when Page was with the Aboriginal and Islander Dance Theatre in Sydney, and the portrait shows his physicality and natural grace.

It is the first in a series of five photographs that powerfully and playfully depicts Russell Page, Larrakia man Gary Lang, Muruwari man Matthew Doyle, and Graham Blanco, a descendant of the Mer (Murray Island) people – all who went on to have significant careers in dance.

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency