Light Years: Olive Cotton and Max Dupain

Olive Cotton is a key figure in the development of contemporary Australian photography. Olive exhibited internationally in the 1930s and ran the Sydney studio of long-time collaborator Max Dupain during the war years.  The pair, who were briefly married, are seen in this 1990s clip from Light Years viewing and discussing Cotton's cityscapes, still lives and her portrait of a young Dupain. 

We see Cotton in her home at Spring Forest and strolling the city streets with her Rollieflex camera, looking for subjects.

She quotes photographic pioneer Léonard Misonne who maintained 'light is everything’.

You can buy a copy of the film from Ronin Films.

Notes by Beth Taylor