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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.

Gurkirat, 2009

by Rod McNicol

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 Finalist

Gurkirat, 2009

From a new series titled A portrait: Visitors to my village, this image of Gurkirat continues my life-long preoccupation with portraiture involving a full-frontal gaze to the camera. The genesis of this particular genre dates from the beginning of photography itself. That self-conscious stare back to the photographer, so evident in early photography, has always held a fascination for me. In this series of portraits of young visitors from overseas that are here to study, I have used a purposefully stark mise-en-scene and a judicious sense of colour in an attempt to pare these portraits back to this very conscious essence.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2010
(More information, View all 43 photos)

Gori, Bougainville
Louise
Moonbird boy
Rammey Ramsey

Other NPPP photos from Rod McNicol
(More information)

Barry Jones AC, 2021 Rod McNicol
2022 Finalist
Tracey, 2018 by Rod McNicol
2019 Finalist
Self-portrait, 2015 by Rod McNicol
2016 Finalist
My friend Siu’s dear mother, Mrs Chan, 2014 by Rod McNicol
2015 Finalist

Related information

Rod McNicol and Jack Charles
Rod McNicol and Jack Charles
Rod McNicol and Jack Charles
Rod McNicol and Jack Charles

Rod McNicol and Jack Charles

'We're village elders on Smith Street'

Portrait story

Rod and Jack on the series of portraits they created together.

Rod McNicol

'Life and Times'

Portrait story

Echoing 19th-century photography, Rod McNicol's portraits give us a chance to look quietly at the human condition.
Tariro, 2010 by Rod McNicol
Tariro, 2010 by Rod McNicol
Tariro, 2010 by Rod McNicol
Tariro, 2010 by Rod McNicol

Village people

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2015

Christopher Chapman discusses Rod McNicol's photographic portrait series Newcomers to my village.
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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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