Pub Rock explores a musical era and its impact on Australian culture
Published on 11 May 2023
Grab your headphones and best pub rock play list and head to the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery for a great exhibition that celebrates the culture, sounds, people and places so loved during the 70s and 80s – just don’t forget not to sing at the top of your lungs!
The works are drawn primarily from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection and enriched with works by leading Australian museum photographers including Tony Mott and Wendy McDougall.
For all the artists involved in documenting this cultural moment, the line between fan and portraits was naturally blurred.
Featuring staged portraits and publicity shots alongside images captured during unguarded moments and the grungy energy of live performances, this exhibition will have viewers transported back to the pub rock scene.
“This exhibition celebrates one of the aspects of Australian culture that many have missed during lockdown,” said Mayor Amanda Findley.
“The exhibition captures the excitement and energy of the pub rock scene and live music is about people coming together to listen and celebrate a common interest,” said Cr Findley.
Photography featuring homegrown performers like AC/DC, INXS, Nick Cave, Bee Gees and Divinyls, and the enduring appeal of hard rock anthems by Cold Chisel, Angels and Men at Work are on display. The exhibition also explores activism in the music of Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Us Mob.
Pub Rock is open until 24 June at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, 12 Berry Street, Nowra.
Pub Rock is a National Portrait Gallery Exhibition, supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.
Visit the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery website to find out more.
Image credit: Angus Young, AC/DC, LA, 1978 by Rennie Ellis. Collection: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.