True crime—murder and misdemeanour in Australian art

Graphic accounts of actual or true crimes and descriptions of their perpetrators have, for centuries, inspired great works of literature and performance, and more recently film and television. While much is written in relation to crime—from police notes, to court transcripts and, most conspicuously of all, media reports—it is also appropriate that a range of visual images should interpret these same events.

True crime—murder and misdemeanour in Australian art explored the abiding interest of Australian artists in responding to criminal activity and included a number of extraordinary works—from the early-1940s to contemporary times—whose intrinsic visual appeal often belies the tragic, even sordid events that have inspired them.