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The young pair in Sharpie couple, Melbourne convey an odd tension. Their arms are linked, but they pull away from each other towards the edges of the frame. Their defiant, deadpan scowls are topped by matching buzzcuts, and their outfits are a countercultural wink. Jerrems identifies them as Sharpies in the work’s title although, by 1976, when the photograph was taken, a new generation of Sharpies had emerged who were increasingly labelled as ‘skinheads’ by the media.
Behind the pair is a campaign poster for Wiradjuri activist Bruce McGuinness (1939–2003), the rallying cry ‘It’s our turn’ spread across the image. This detail grounds the photograph in a moment of revolution and counterculture, but also one of complexity. It is unclear whether the couple stand in solidarity, apathy or something else altogether.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981.
© The Estate of Carol Jerrems
Carol Jerrems: Portraits is a major exhibition of one of Australia’s most influential photographers. Jerrems’ intimate portraits of friends, lovers and artistic peers transcend the purely personal and have come to shape Australian visual culture.
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