The Look
You don’t have to be beautiful to have it, or young, or famous or notorious. You don’t have to dress on-trend, or even neatly.
The Italians have an expression, bella figura, to describe a way of being that’s striking. The French might call it je ne sais quoi. It’s a quality that makes you look twice, without really knowing why. In English, it might be called cool.
In Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery there’s The Look—a collection of photographic portraits of extraordinary Australians. The Look reflects a wonderful range of Australian achievement; and it oozes style too.
Whether you go for a steamy look, a sceptical look, a sardonic look, or an icy look, one look at this show, and you’ll have to look again.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are warned that the exhibition contains images and names of people who have passed away.
Events
Learn Space—The Look
Saturday 7 March to Sunday 3 May
Floortalk: The Look—Joanna Gilmour
Saturday 7 March
Afterhours—The Look
Friday 13 March
Portrait Play (cancelled)
Saturday 14 March
Geelong Design Week (cancelled)
Thursday 19 to Sunday 29 March
This exhibition was programed as part of Geelong Design Week 2020, an initiative of Geelong UNESCO City of Design and the City of Greater Geelong
Members exclusive: Behind the lens—technical aspects of photography (cancelled)
First Friday: Kenneth Park—portraits of Scotland (cancelled)
Friday 3 April
In conversation: Talking art—Portrait of Cate Blanchett (cancelled)
Thursday 23 April
Tickets
Download our Frequently asked questions (FAQs) document to assist with any ticketing queries.
Pass-outs are available for same-day entry.
*Concession tickets are valid for Full-time students aged over 15 years of age (includes high school, TAFE, university and international students, upon presentation of a valid student card), Pension card holders, Healthcare cardholders and Veterans Affairs cardholders (DVA gold cards). Seniors discount (concession price) available on Tuesday’s only.
**Child tickets are valid for children 5–15 years.
***Members tickets are valid for Geelong Gallery members, in addition to members of the following galleries: Art Gallery of Ballarat; Art Gallery of New South Wales; Art Gallery of South Australia; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Bendigo Art Gallery; Benalla Art Gallery; East Gippsland Art Gallery; Gippsland Art Gallery; Hamilton Gallery; Horsham Regional Art Gallery; Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery; Murray Albury Museum of Art, Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory; Museum of Contemporary Art; National Gallery of Australia; National Gallery of Victoria; National Portrait Gallery; Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art; Shepparton Art Museum; Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery; Wangaratta Art Gallery and Warrnambool Art Gallery.