Exclusively at SAM for the PHOTO 2024 International Photography Festival, this display of McGinley’s renowned project marked his first solo exhibition in Australia.
“It has been such a privilege to welcome visitors to SAM to experience YEARBOOK over the past months,” SAM CEO Melinda Martin said.
“The exhibition contains such joy, inclusivity, and pride, and we’ve found ourselves constantly surprised and thrilled at the responses people have had to the work.
“It has been wonderful to be able to present an exhibition that so many in our community have been able to connect with through the incredible representation of people, bodies and identities captured by the artist.
“It’s a real coup for our community to now have our town on the list of locations this exhibition has travelled to, and we hope people can feel a sense of pride from this.
“In its final weeks, we invite everyone to visit, enjoy some final moments with these powerful portraits, and perhaps take some time to watch the interview we recorded with Ryan to hear about the process of making and presenting such a monumental and ever-evolving artwork.”
Featuring more than 700 vinyl-printed studio portraits of New York City creatives, YEARBOOK covers every inch of the gallery walls with bold colour and form. Debuting in New York City in 2009, McGinley has exhibited this evolving work at major institutions in Tokyo, Denmark, Korea and Spain.
Celebrated for his snapshot-casual style, McGinley’s work is deeply influenced by his personal experiences and American street culture, with a strong emphasis on queer identities. Described by GQ Magazine in 2014 as “the most important photographer in America”, his artistic style has evolved from the documentary-photography style that first led to his public discovery, to a more orchestrated creative vision. Starting in 2008, the early photos in YEARBOOK mark McGinley’s initial ventures into colour studio photography, later indicating his move towards a more studio-based practice.
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