Helen Ennis is one of Australia’s leading photography
curators, historians and writers.
She joined the Department
of Photography at the National Gallery of Australia in 1981
and was Curator of International and Australian Photography
at the National Gallery of Australia from 1985-92. She has
extensive experience as an independent curator and writer specializing
in the area of Australian photographic practice.
Her curatorial projects include Mirror with a memory: Photographic
portraiture in Australia (National Portrait Gallery,
2000); a retrospective exhibition of Olive Cotton’s
photographs (Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000); and the
two-part exhibition In
a New Light: Australian Photography 1850s-2000 (National
Library of Australia 2003 and 2004). Her exhibition of the
work of European émigré photographer Margaret
Michaelis was shown at the National Gallery of Australia in
2005.
Helen’s publications include Olive Cotton (Art
Gallery of New South Wales, 2000), Man with a camera: Frank
Hurley overseas (National Library of Australia, 2002), Intersections:
Photography, history and the National Library of Australia (National
Library of Australia, 2004) and the award-winning biography Margaret
Michaelis: love, loss and photography (National Gallery of Australia,
2005). Her book Photography and Australia was published by Reaktion, London, in 2007.
In 2007 she curated Reveries: Photography and Mortality for the National Portrait Gallery and in 2008 curated A Modern Vision: Charles Bayliss, Photographer, 1850-1897 for the National Library of Australia.
Helen is a certified valuer for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.
She is currently Associate Professor, Art Theory, and Graduate Convenor, Research at the Australian National University School of Art
News
Things: photographing the constructed world opens at the National Library of Australia, Canberra on the 24th November. Guest curated by Helen, the show of over 230 photographs from the NLA's Pictures collection is on until the 17th of February 2013.
In September 2011 Helen was awarded the Peter Blazey Fellowship to support the writing of her biography on Australian photographer Olive Cotton. The fellowship includes a residency at the Australian Centre, University of Melbourne, which Helen has recently completed.
Recent publications
Wolfgang Sievers. National Library of Australia, view more about the book here.
Frank Hurley's Antarctica. National Library of Australia, view details
A Modern Vision: Charles Bayliss, Photographer, 1850-1897. National Library of Australia, read more.
Photography and Australia, Reaktion Press. View more about the book here
Reveries: Photography and Mortality, National Portrait Gallery. View more details...
