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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.

Geoffrey Rush, 2006

by William Yang

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2007 Finalist

Geoffrey Rush, 2006

In his time he had played a clown, a madman, a pirate, a pianist, a count, a drug dealer, a dog and an alchemist, and now he was putting on the mask again, to play a king who dies. I have a collection of dressing room shots as I often go to plays and am a lover of theatre. I've photographed Geoffrey before at the Belvoir Street Theatre; we both have a connection to it. This was before he won the Oscar, but he always acknowledges that we knew each other before that defining event. He's not shy and was running around the dressing room in his underpants the whole time. When I asked him if I could use the photos he said, well not too many in my underpants. Not that I've chosen an underpants shot; it was the face that intrigued, half made up - the character of the deluded king combined with the real person, the actor, the veteran of many plays.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2007
(More information, View all 75 photos)

Mark hanging at the beach
Yumi on fire, one and a half hours before the eclipse of the moon

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The gang, 1977 William Yang
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Lust for life

Magazine article, 2008

Celebrated Sydney-based photographer and performer William Yang was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to produce a new performance work that premiered at the opening of the Gallery's new building.
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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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