Women in Photography at NGV
I don’t even know how I heard about the NGV’s exhibition Women Photographers 1900–1975, but I did, and I knew I had to see it. The exhibition sprawls across the walls, a sprawling testament to women in photography who refused to be sidelined.
Early on, I meandered through, not sure how to experience the work, it was easy to think I was just “looking.” But as the rooms unfurled, my energy shifted. My quiet yawns of uncertainty gave way to enthusiastic curiosity. My steps slowed and I leaned in closer, read every detail, and felt my energy lift as I encountered the world through women’s eyes.
The Emotional Power Beyond Technical Mastery
It’s tempting to admire photography for its technical brilliance but what the exhibition consistently reminded me is that emotional depth trumps technical perfection every time. One image of Pablo Picasso, caught candidly in front of a door, another staring directly at the camera, stayed with me long after I walked away. I thought more about the photographer’s proximity – the trust required to capture such intimacy – than about the settings on the camera.
The women here didn’t just make technically competent images; they made photographs that reach out and grab you, sometimes with a laugh, sometimes with quiet reflection. It reminded me of the subtle genius of female photographers in Loop’s own community and the way they see connections, gestures, and relationships others often miss. And make no mistake: this isn’t saying women aren’t making technically correct images. The work is precise, intentional, and brimming with emotive & narrative power.
Rebellion, Intimacy, and the Rules They Refused to Follow
I felt a thread of rebellion running through the exhibition. One plaque, in what felt like a slightly condescending tone, mentioned how women had to be “all over the parts of business like the men were.” In the section on nudes, for instance, the women weren’t just capturing bodies, they were reclaiming them, asserting agency, and controlling how they were seen.
Rules weren’t followed; rules were rewritten. Women photographers were working in spaces society hadn’t handed to them, yet they took command, not with brute force, but with observation, attention, and fearless empathy.
A Journey Through Connection
As I moved from room to room, I was struck over and over again by the connections these photographers created. One photograph of children playing atop a high pediment in New York had me laughing for minutes, caught between admiration and disbelief. That kind of joy, freedom, and unsupervised chaos is nearly impossible to find today.
That connection, the intimacy, the empathy, the trust, felt like the exhibition’s true heartbeat. It’s a reminder that women in photography have been telling the deep, meaningful stories of life for more than a century. And it’s a perspective that can teach anyone, regardless of gender, something about the art of seeing.
From Exhibition to Practice: Seeing the World Like a Photographer
Walking out of the NGV, I carried more than inspiration. I carried a challenge: to notice more, lean in closer, and allow the work to be both technically deliberate and emotionally honest. The rules – what you “should” photograph, who can take control, what makes a photo important – don’t matter as much as the connection you create with the world.
At Loop Art & Photo Space in Olinda, Melbourne, we try to capture a similar ethos: slow down, notice deeply, and create work that resonates emotionally as much as it impresses technically. The exhibition reminded me that photography isn’t just about the mechanics; it’s about curiosity, empathy, and the courage to be present in the moments that matter.
Women in Photography at NGV
If you’re in Melbourne, the NGV’s Women Photographers 1900–1975 exhibition is more than a show; it’s a masterclass in storytelling, rebellion, and connection. And when you’re ready to bring some of that vision into your own practice, Loop is here to help you see the world, and your photography, differently.
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