If you wandered down to Magnet Galleries in Docklands recently, you might’ve thought you'd walked into a who’s who of Australian photography. And you wouldn’t be far off.
With close to 200 people packing the space for the opening night of The Prahran Legacy: Beyond the Basement over the weekend, it was clear this wasn’t just another gallery show — it was a celebration of a photographic powerhouse that left an indelible mark on the Australian art scene.
The Prahran Legacy
- Running from:
- Where: Magnet Galleries, Docklands
Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.
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The walls are alive with stories. Forty alumni from Prahran College — that iconic breeding ground for visual talent between 1968 and 1991 — came together to showcase new and recent works. And let’s just say: this isn’t your average walk down memory lane. This is a vibrant, bold and deeply personal snapshot of what happens when art education doesn’t just follow the rules — it rewrites them.
Back in the day, Prahran College wasn’t your typical institution. With creative heavyweights like Athol Shmith, John Cato, and Paul Cox leading the charge, the place was buzzing with radical energy. These tutors didn’t just teach photography — they lived and breathed it, and passed that passion on to their students. Even after the college shut its doors in 1991, its spirit spread like wildfire through the Australian photography scene.
Curated by Merle Hathaway in conjunction with James McArdle, Philip Quirk and Mimmo Cozzolino, and with advice and assistance from Ilana Rose and Colin Abbott (all five are Prahran alumni), this new show builds on his earlier 2014 exhibition Prahran 40, but takes things even further. It’s not just about where these artists came from — it’s about where they’re going. Some of them are already in major archives, some are still pushing the boundaries in the darkroom or the digital space. Either way, their work continues to echo that sense of artistic freedom and experimentation that Prahran was known for.
And if you want to go even deeper, there’s more happening just up the road. The Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) is currently hosting The Basement: Photography from Prahran College (1968–1981) — a perfect companion to the Magnet show, digging into the early foundations of this creative revolution.
So whether you’re a seasoned photography buff or just love a good gallery night out, The Prahran Legacy: Beyond the Basement is well worth a look.
