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Laudanum

Tracey Moffatt’s fascination with the visual languages of film, art, and advertising began at an early age, when she was growing up in a suburban family in Brisbane, Australia. She later specialized in visual communications at Queensland College, graduating in 1982, before moving to Sydney to begin a career as a filmmaker, doing experimental and documentary work. Moffatt soon began making narrative sequences of photographs, using sets as backdrops. She received international recognition with her dramatic photo series Something More (1989), about a young woman’s pursuit of success. Her photographs, videos, and films employ themes from popular culture, and she takes a special interest as well in issues related to Australia’s Aboriginal people. Her emotionally charged production is inspired by personal memories and daydreams.

This image is from Moffatt’s nineteen-piece Laudanum, a series of photogravures embracing a turn-of-the-twentieth-century aesthetic in costume, character, setting, and medium. The title refers to a pain reliever and sedative commonly used in the nineteenth century. Likewise, the medium, a combination of photography and etching, was popular in the later nineteenth century. The narrative depicts the potent relationship between a white mistress and an Aboriginal servant; they are involved in a sensual power struggle in which their roles often reverse. In this image, the mistress displays her dominance through the severity of her posture and costume. The distorted architecture of the scene further heightens the drama with an eerie, suspenseful sensuality.

Portfolio/Series: From the portfolio titled: "Laudanum"
Artist: Tracey Moffatt, Australian, born 1960
Medium: Photogravure
Dates: 1998
Dimensions: Sheet: 30 1/8 x 22 3/4 in. (76.5 x 57.8 cm) (show scale)

Signature: Signed and dated lower right in graphite: "Tracey Moffatt '98"
Inscriptions: Each print is inscribed lower center in graphite: "Laudanum"
Museum Location: This item is on view in Contemporary Art Galleries, 4th Floor
Exhibitions:
- Unfolding Tales: Selections from the Contemporary Collection (August 2011 through date unknown)
Accession Number: 1999.80.19
Edition: Edition: 29/60
Credit Line: Alfred T. White Fund
Rights Statement: © Tracey Moffat. Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
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Caption: Tracey Moffatt (Australian, born 1960). Laudanum, 1998. Photogravure, Sheet: 30 1/8 x 22 3/4 in. (76.5 x 57.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Alfred T. White Fund, 1999.80.19. © Tracey Moffat. Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Image: overall, 1999.80.19_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don't yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

Record Completeness: Best (85%)
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