Framing the figure—contemporary photography and moving image works from the collection

Framing the figure explored artists’ use of the camera to capture their human subjects in both still and moving images. Through performative gestures, constructed narratives or a focus on specific body parts, these lens-based artists work closely with their subjects to compose the figure within the camera’s frame. As our perceptions of time continue to be affected by extended periods of lockdown, isolation and uncertainty, this selection of works highlighted still photography’s capacity to freeze a moment in time and conversely, the repetition of actions and activity that moving image works present.