Helen Ennis
Art-Theory
Helen.Ennis@anu.edu.au
Phone: +61 (2) 6125 5839
Helen Ennis is the Convenor of the Graduate Research Program. She specialises in Australian photographic history and is concerned with finding new ways of thinking, curating and writing about photographs. As an independent curator and writer she works closely with national cultural institutions. Major research projects include In a New Light: Photography and Australia 1850s-2000 (2003-04), Margaret Michaelis: Love, loss and photography (2005) and Reveries: Photography and Mortality (2007). Her book Photography and Australia was published by Reaktion, London in 2007 and Wolfgang Sievers was published in 2011. Helen recently curated Things: Photographing the constructed world for the National Library. She is currently writing a biography on Australian photographer Olive Cotton, supported by the Peter Blazey Fellowship and funding from the Australia Council Literature Board. Helen also researches in the areas of biography, death studies, museology and curatorship.
Exhibitions
EXHIBITIONS CURATED SINCE 2000
2012 Guest curator, Things: Photographing the constructed world, National Library of Australia
2008 Guest curator, A Modern Vision: Charles Bayliss, Photographer, 1850-1897, National Library of Australia
2006 Guest curator, Reveries: Photography & Mortality, National Portrait Gallery (opened 2007, toured to Queensland University Art Museum and Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, 2007-08)
2005 Guest curator, Margaret Michaelis: love, loss and photography, National Gallery of Australia
2004 Guest curator, In a new light: Australian Photography 1930s-2000, National Library of Australia
2003 Guest curator, In a new light: Australian Photography 1850s-1930s, National Library of Australia
2000 Guest curator, Mirror with a memory: Photographic Portraiture in Australia, National Portrait Gallery
Guest curator, Olive Cotton, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Qualifications
1982 B.A. Hons (Visual Arts), Monash University, Melbourne
Publications
Books and exhibition catalogues
2011 Wolfgang Sievers. Canberra: National Library of Australia, essay, pp.1-54
2010 Frank Hurley’s Antarctica. Canberra: National Library of Australia
2008 A Modern Vision: Charles Bayliss, Photographer, 1850-1897. Canberra: National Library of Australia, essay ‘The space of modernity’, pp.1-20
2007 Reveries: Photography and Mortality. Canberra: National Portrait Gallery, essay pp.1-74
Photography and Australia. London: Reaktion Books, 158 pages
2005 Margaret Michaelis: love, loss and photography. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 250 pages
2004 Intersections: Photography, history and the National Library of Australia,
Canberra: National Library of Australia, 277 pages
2003 In a new light: Australian Photography 1850s-1930s. Canberra: National Library of Australia
2002 Man with a camera: Frank Hurley overseas. Canberra: National Library of Australia, 100 pages
2000 Olive Cotton. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 63 pages
Helen Ennis, Mirror with a memory: Photographic portraiture in Australia. Canberra: National Portrait Gallery, 84 pages [curator and author of exhibition catalogue; also with essay by Geoffrey Batchen]
1996 The reflecting eye: Portraits of Australian Visual Artists. Canberra: National Portrait Gallery [curator and author of exhibition catalogue]
1995 Olive Cotton: Photographer. Canberra: National Library of Australia, essay ‘Patterns in time’ pp.1-17 [reprinted 2004, 2006]
Helen Ennis, ‘Past/Present’, Sue Ford. A Survey. 1960-1995. Melbourne: Monash University Gallery [curator of exhibition and coordinator of catalogue]
1994 Introduction, Harold Cazneaux: The Quiet Observer. Canberra: National Library of Australia, pp.1-17 [reprinted 1997, 2004]
1991 Helen Ennis and Bob Jenyns, Living in the 70s: Photographs by Carol Jerrems. Hobart: University of Tasmania [exhibition catalogue]
Max Dupain Photographs. Canberra: Australian National Gallery [exhibition catalogue]
The Life and Work of Wolfgang Sievers. Canberra: National Gallery [exhibition catalogue]
1989 Helen Ennis with assistance from Kate Davidson and Kylie Scroope, Photography : 150 Years. Canberra: Australian National Gallery and ASM Group [catalogue]
1988 Helen Ennis and Isobel Crombie, Australian Photographs in the Australian National Gallery Collection. Canberra: Australian National Gallery [booklet]
Helen Ennis with assistance from Kate Davidson, Australian Photography: The 1980s. Canberra: Australian National Gallery [catalogue]
‘Contemporary Photographic Practices’ in Gael Newton, Shades of Light: Photography and Australia 1839-1988. Sydney: Collins Australia and Australian National Gallery: pp.134-161
Major essays, book chapters
2011 ‘Death and digital photography’ in Cultural Studies Review, vol.17, no.1, March http://utsescholarship.lib.uts.edu.au/epress/journals/index.php/csrj/index
‘Other histories: photography and Australia’, Journal of Art Historiography, guest editor Jaynie Anderson, no.4, June 2011 http://arthistoriography.wordpress.com/
‘Olive Cotton and Sea’s awakening’, Journal of Australian Studies, vol.35, no. 4, December, pp.433-449
‘Photography and the Ballets Russes: An Australian Perspective’ in Mark Carroll, (ed.), The Ballets Russes in Australia and Beyond. Adelaide: Wakefield Press, pp.105-111
‘Sue Ford’s History’, Art Journal of the National Gallery of Victoria, no.50, pp.89-98
2009 ‘Photography and Australia’, Grove Art Online (2500 words)
2008 ‘The art of dying’ in T Chandler Halliburton and Caroline Edwards (eds.), Making Sense of: Dying and death’, ISBN: 978-1-914710-52-3
2005 ‘Portraiture in extremis’ in Daniel Palmer (ed.), Photogenic: Essays/Photography/CCP 2000-2004. Melbourne: Centre for Contemporary Photography, pp.23-40
2003 ‘Seeing and not knowing’, Meanjin on PNG, no.3 2003, pp.19-29
2002 Helen Ennis, ‘A National Photographic Collection’ in Peter Cochrane (ed.), Remarkable Occurrences. Canberra: National Library of Australia, pp.199-213
1999 ‘Postwar Australian Landscape Photography’, History of Photography, vol.23, no.2, pp.136-141
Guest editor Art Monthly. Photography now, October, no.124, including an article ‘The promised land? Photography and the market’, pp.11-14
‘Painted pictures’ in Blair French (ed.) Photo-Files. Sydney: Power Publications and Australian Centre for Photography, pp.29-39 (first published Photofile, Autumn 1987)
1998 Helen Ennis, ‘Margaret Michaelis in context’ in Juan Jose Lahuerta and Jordana Mendelson, Margaret Michaleis. Fotografia, Vanguardia I Politica a la Barcelona de la Republica. Valencia: IVAM Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, pp.10-18
1997 Helen Ennis, ‘Blue hydrangeas: Four émigré photographers’ in Roger Butler (ed.), The Europeans. Émigré Artists in Australia 1930-1960. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, pp.102-119
‘Don’t look back: Helmut Newton’s Australian years’ Photofile, no.52, December, pp.10-15
‘The rise and rise of documentary photography?’ in Leica Documentary Photography Exhibition and Award. Melbourne: Centre for Contemporary Photography
Helen Ennis, ‘Subject to change’ in Anne Bamford (ed.), Viewpoints. Visual arts case
studies. Heinemann, pp.103-115
‘Partnerships’, Photofile, no.53, April, pp.24-28
1994 Pictograms: Aspects of Contemporary Photographic Practice, Australian Exhibitions Touring Agency
1993 ‘An optic parable: Surrealism and Photography’ in Michael Lloyd (ed.) Surrealism: Revolution by Night. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia: pp.156-170 [catalogue essay]
‘Sacred fire’ in Geoffrey Burke and Peter Weiermair, eds., Second Nature. Peter Peryer, Photographer, New Zealand. Zurich: Edition Stemmle and New Zealand: Wellington City Gallery
1992 ‘Photography and public life’ in Juliana Engberg, Location. Contemporary photo based work from Australia. Melbourne: Australian Centre of Contemporary Art: pp.35-42 [catalogue essay]
‘Analogues’ and ‘1992’, Graeme Hare. Melbourne: Graeme Hare [catalogue essays]
‘The end of nature’, 42' South, Hobart: Chameleon Contemporary Art Space [catalogue essay]
‘Searching for Geoffrey Powell’ in Stuart Koop, (ed.), Shot. Melbourne: Centre for Contemporary Photography
1990 ‘To Canada’ in Karen Love, Aurora Australis. North Vancouver, Canada: Presentation House: pp.7-14 [catalogue essay]
‘Homage to Sight : the photographs of Miriam Stannage’ in Seva Frangos and Margaret Moore, Miriam Stannage. Perception 1969-1989. Perth: Art Gallery of Western Australia: pp.17-19 [catalogue essay]
1988 ‘Photography: New Directions’ in Joyce Agee, The Thousand Mile Stare. Melbourne: Victorian Centre for Photography: pp.95-100 [catalogue essay]
1987 ‘Painted photographs’, Photofile, vol.4, no.4, Autumn: pp.11-14
1986 ‘1970s Australian Photographic Practice: A Homogenous View?’, Photofile, vol.4, no.1, Autumn: pp.12-15
‘Laszlo Moholy-Nagy: Photography and Film in Weimar Germany’, Photofile, vol.4, no.2, Spring: pp.30-32
‘The 1970s and Now’, Afterimage (USA), vol.14, no.2, September: pp.7-8
Articles and essays in catalogues, periodicals, etc. since 2000
2012 Book review: ‘Photography and Mourning’, History of Photography [forthcoming]
2011 ‘Lasting Impressions: European views of Central Australia. Images of the interior: seven central Australian Photographers by Philip Jones’, ABR, November 2011, pp.46-47 [book review]
‘Sue Ford: faces are maps’ in Shaune Lakin, Sue Ford: Self-Portrait with Camera (1960-2006). Monash Gallery of Art
Introduction, The Mourners: Georgia Metaxas, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
‘Look: Contemporary Australian Photography since 1980’, ABR, June 2011, pp. 43-44 [book review]
‘Sievers: Images of Australian Industry’, The National Library Magazine, September 2011, pp.21-23
2010 ‘Ward 3 E’ in Natalie King (ed.), Up Close: Carol Jerrems with Larry Clark, Nan Goldin and William Yang. Melbourne: Black Inc.
‘Sue Ford 1943-2009’, Art Monthly Australia, no. 227, March 2010: pp.27-28
‘A pioneer of polar photography: Frank Hurley’, National Library Magazine, September
‘Decisive moments. Peter Galassi: Henri Cartier-Bresson’, ABR, no.326, November 2010, p.10 [book review]
2009 ‘Edward Burtynsky’s minescapes: an Australian perspective’ in Edward Burtynsky: Australian Minescapes. Perth: Western Australian Museum
Entries on Wolfgang Sievers and Sue Ford, Grove Art Dictionary Online (400 words each)
Entries on Max Dupain, Peter Peryer and Piet Zwart in William McAloon, (ed.), Art at Te Papa. Wellington: Te Papa Tongarewa. pp.198, 202, 330, 352, 400
Book review: ‘Tom Normand Scottish Photography: A History. Luath Press, 2007’, History of Photography, vol.33, no.4, November, pp.407-08
‘Timeliness: Photographs by Christine Godden’. Christine Godden ISBN978-0-646-51283-9 [catalogue essay]
2008 ‘Now and Then’, Art World, Issue 6, December 2008/January 2009, pp.7-11
‘Steam and sunshine’, entry in Natasha Bullock, (ed.), Harold Cazneaux: Artist in Photography. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Entry on Margaret Michaelis, Australian Dictionary of Biography [forthcoming]
2007 Intimate Encounters: Christl Berg, Launceston: Queen Victoria Museum and Gallery
‘Reveries: Photography & Mortality’, Portrait 23, Autumn 2007, pp.4-9
‘On Death’, Photofile, no.80, Autumn 2007
‘Pat Brassington’, Photofile, no. 79, Summer 2007, p.78
2006 ‘Perception: The Daryl Hewson Photographic Collection’, Photofile, no.76, Summer 2006, p.78
‘Jacky Redgate 1980-2003’, Photofile, no.78, Spring 2006, p.78
‘Jane Lydon: Eye Contact’, Australian Book Review, no.283, August 2006, p.54
‘Bill Culbert: Light wine things’, Art Monthly Australia, no.190, June 2006, pp.39-40
2005 ‘Margaret Michaelis: love, loss and photography’, artonview, no. 42, Winter 2005, pp.28-34
‘The outsider. 1904: Korea through Australian eyes’, Australian Book Review, no. 272, June-July 2005, p.50
2004 ‘Made in Australia: Contemporary Documentary Photography’, National Library News,, December 2004, pp.7-11
‘This picture speaks for itself: Photography and the First World War’, National Library News, July 2004, pp.13-17
‘Narratives of war’, ozhistorybytes (editor Peter Cochrane)
‘Unhurried: Tribute to Olive Cotton’, Australian Art Monthly, no.167, 1, March 2004
2003 ‘Seeing and not knowing’, Muse, May 2003
‘National news’, Australian Book Review, no.256, November
Olive Cotton obituary, Photofile, no.70
‘In a New Light’, National Library News, November, pp.3-7
‘Gentle Men’, Art Monthly, May 2002, no.149, pp.20-22
Entries on Harold Cazneaux, Olive Cotton and Margaret Michaelis, Australian Art in the National Gallery of Australia. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 2002
2001 ‘The pleasures of the past’ in Photofile, Autumn, 2001
2000 ‘Drawing with light: The photography of Olive Cotton’, National Library News, August 2000, pp.11-15
‘The future of history’ in Robert Imhoff (ed.), The Fuji ACMP Australian Photographers Collection, 6, ACMP
