In collaboration with Monash Gallery of Art (MGA), Sutton Gallery is pleased to present Being Ourselves, a new series by David Rosetzky that comprises 6 double exposure photographs and a two-channel video installation.

In celebration of their 30^th anniversary, MGA commissioned four of Australia’s leading contemporary artists to explore the City of Monash by responding to key issues facing the community – a reflection of the city as a microcosm of the nation. The artists turned their lenses to topics including local indigenous sites of significance, the migrant experience, homelessness and the LGBTQI+ community. The resulting artworks, including Rosetzky’s series Being Ourselves, culminated in the exhibition: Portrait of Monash: the ties that bind, which opened at MGA on 15 February, and was expected to continue until 5 July, 2020. Together with all of Australia’s arts organisations, MGA has now shut its doors to the public until further notice. Sutton Gallery and MGA are now bringing this commission to audiences in the virtual realm.

Portrait of Monash: the ties that bind set out to create a safe place for respectful discourse around the artists’ chosen topics in order to promote greater understanding, profile and advocacy. This digital presentation of Being Ourselves intends to foster the legacy of this exhibition by enhancing digital access to the commissioned works. It also follows Sutton Gallery’s commitment to use its digital resources to support represented artists, who are being significantly impacted by the closure of galleries and institutions in response to COVID-19. Here, you can browse the available works from Rosetzky’s series, including the full-length film that has been re-formatted for online viewing. Use the ‘Available’ link to submit an enquiry. You can also explore the links below to learn more about the commissioned artists and their works.

The work Being Ourselves consists of a series of black and white double-exposure portrait photographs and a two-channel video installation. I think of the double exposure technique as an in-camera collage effect that I use to create multiple perspectives within the one image, as a way of presenting the subject in a nuanced and layered way, that speaks of the complexity, shadows and contradictions within individual human experience and identity.

I chose this direct form of address from the project participants in the hope that I could convey the strength, vulnerability, and resilience of this group of people from the Monash LGBTQIA+ community.