Sunbaker
Encyclopedia
Sunbaker is a 1937 photograph
by Australian modernist photographer Max Dupain
. The black-and-white
photograph depicts the head and shoulders of a man lying on the beach, taken from a low angle. The photograph has been described as "quintessentially Australian" and "arguably the most widely recognised of all Australian photographs."
Dupain took the photograph in 1937 at Culburra Beach
, a small town on the New South Wales South Coast. The man in the photograph was Harold Salvage (1905-1991), a British builder, who was part of a group of friends on a surfing trip. The most familiar version of the photograph was not printed until a retrospective of Dupain's work in 1975.
Isobel Crombie, Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Victoria
has argued that this work, and much of Dupain's works in the 1930s, shows sign of being influenced by the concepts of eugenics
, vitalism
and the "body culture" movement. Crombie states "Most of us think of Dupain as a strict, clear modernist ... But there is a whole series of works ... heavily influenced by the ideas of the regeneration of a race through the revitalisation of the body." Crombie considers Dupain's work of the period, including Sunbaker to represent a "racial archetype
" of ideal Australians.
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
by Australian modernist photographer Max Dupain
Max Dupain
Maxwell Spencer Dupain AC was a renowned Australian modernist photographer.-Early life:Dupain received his first camera as a gift in 1924, spurring his interest in photography He later joined the Photographic Society of NSW, and when he left school, he worked for Cecil Bostock in Sydney.-Early...
. The black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
photograph depicts the head and shoulders of a man lying on the beach, taken from a low angle. The photograph has been described as "quintessentially Australian" and "arguably the most widely recognised of all Australian photographs."
Composition
The photograph depicts the head and shoulders of a man lying flat on his stomach on the sand. His head, tilted to the left, is resting on one arm and his other arm is lying flat on the sand before him. The photograph is taken from a very low angle and head on, so nothing else of the subject can be seen. The sun appears to be almost directly overhead and casts much of the subject into deep shadow while reflecting off the beads of water on his arms and back. The subject takes up much of the upper half of the work, with the bottom half consisting of a bright, empty area of sand. The picture can be seen as "forming a single pyramidal form positioned against the horizon."Dupain took the photograph in 1937 at Culburra Beach
Culburra Beach, New South Wales
Culburra Beach, commonly referred to as Culburra, is in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia. It is 18 km east-southeast of Nowra on the South Coast...
, a small town on the New South Wales South Coast. The man in the photograph was Harold Salvage (1905-1991), a British builder, who was part of a group of friends on a surfing trip. The most familiar version of the photograph was not printed until a retrospective of Dupain's work in 1975.
Reception and legacy
The photograph has been described as "perhaps the most famous and admired photograph in Australia" and "probably the most widely recognised Australian photograph". The image has been seen as inspired by European modernist photographers, "more interest in abstract form than descriptive photographs." The image has "become part of the consciousness of Australians – symbolising health, vitality, a love of the outdoors and an appreciation of sport and relaxation."Isobel Crombie, Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
has argued that this work, and much of Dupain's works in the 1930s, shows sign of being influenced by the concepts of eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
, vitalism
Vitalism
Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
and the "body culture" movement. Crombie states "Most of us think of Dupain as a strict, clear modernist ... But there is a whole series of works ... heavily influenced by the ideas of the regeneration of a race through the revitalisation of the body." Crombie considers Dupain's work of the period, including Sunbaker to represent a "racial archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
" of ideal Australians.