Opening: Max Dupain and Ansel Adams: in search of perfection
Saturday 20 June 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (UTC+10)
Max Dupain and Ansel Adams shaped the visual identity of their respective nations through the lens of modernist photography. Though working on opposite sides of the Pacific, they shared a profound commitment to formal clarity, tonal precision, and the expressive potential of light.
This exhibition brings Dupain’s iconic modernist studies of Australia’s built environments together with Adams’ majestic portrayals of the American wilderness in a compelling and illuminating pairing. These images are shown alongside works by their peers, including portraits and still lifes, to contextualise their place the development of twentieth-century photography.
Max Dupain and Ansel Adams: In search of perfection is a National Gallery Touring Exhibition presented as part of the Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program.

Exhibition dates: 20 June – 30 August 2026
Location
Bayside Gallery
Brighton Town Hall, Corner Wilson and Carpenter Streets, Brighton, Victoria 3186
Contact Details
Image credit: Max Dupain, NSW Government Architect (architect), Stairwell Lindfield College, 1978, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, gift of the photographer 1991, © The Estate of Max Dupain