ArtsNational Murray River | SYDNEY IN LOCKDOWN
About
SYDNEY IN LOCKDOWN Presented by John SwainstonArt history is replete with portraits of the powerful, grand landscapes, and heroic narratives—sometimes real, sometimes imagined. In our own time, photographer John Swainston documents the extraordinary story of Australia’s most populous city emptied of people. Created over a two-year period, this body of work begins in Bowral and moves through Sydney’s great civic and cultural buildings, captured in striking absence.
As the series unfolds, it reveals those who continued working through the pandemic, businesses that survived, and others that did not. Together, the images form a rare visual record of the greatest pandemic of the modern age and the gradual return to everyday life. By contrast, only a handful of photographs remain from Australia’s 1918–1920 pandemic, underscoring the importance of thoughtful documentary practice in an age of mass, unreflective image consumption.
Born in London, John Swainston moved to Australia in 1979 and has worked in the photographic industry for over 50 years, including 24 years as Managing Director of Maxwell Optical Industries. A former president of AIPP and PICA, he has exhibited widely, published several books, and now lectures and writes. Most recently, I Will Lift Mine Eyes turns his attention to England’s great cathedrals, blending history, architecture, and faith.
Date
Monday 13 April 2026 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (UTC+11)Location
The Butter Factory Theatre (Hot House)
Lincoln Causeway, Gateway Island, Wodonga VIC 3690
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ArtsNational Murray River | SYDNEY IN LOCKDOWN
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