REBECCA DAGNALL

“I just brought round this rock melon I grew in the garden to say, welcome to the neighborhood!” (Rolly)

PEOPLE AROUND HERE

I really quite enjoy living around here. I guess being a suburban girl its not surprising. What surprises me is that suburbia and the suburbanite have become the scapegoat for all that is distasteful about Australian culture. I find this quite interesting given that most Australians actually live in a suburb. So what and who is it that makes up this generic Suburbia?

The mythologizing of suburbia and the suburbanite is what inspires this body of work. The anti-suburbia sentiment is alive and well in the cultural imaginary and the popular critique just doesn’t sit right with me. People around here, is a series documenting people in the suburb I have lived for the last 10 years.

Margaret walks past my house everyday with her dog. Margaret is Rolly’s wife, you should see them together, they are such a gorgeous couple. (Me)

“I like to read a lot. I read mostly books about religion. I do a bit of volunteer work at the Buddhist Centre too.” (Dean)

“Hey did you know that Sidney and Jomen are at Uni now with me and Michael? We’re all doing performing arts, its cool.” (Alex)

“Some of my family think Im a coconut cos I’m at Uni, but I want to be able to walk between the two worlds. Besides, a career won’t change the fact that I am Ngoongar” (Michael) 

“When Michael left his last foster home, he asked if he could stay with me for a week till he worked out what to do. He was 13 then and he’s been living with me ever since. He’s 19 now.” (Nell)

“I fucking hate it when people ask me to tattoo the Southern Cross. It’s such a nationalistic right wing symbol!” (Marcus)

Karen I’ve known for years. The first time I saw her she was doing a street performance, some sort of Commedia dell’ Arte clowning act. She was so amazing! (Me)


“I used to look after those kids mothers when they were young and their mother was off on the charge. That’s a long time before I ended up in here” (Peter)

“Ive been learning tattooing. I don’t have any myself and I guess that’s a little strange “ (Giselle)

“Its so good having Jack here, Bec. You know how long its taken for me to be able to spend time with my children? Now he’s living with me. I’m really happy hey” (Johnny)

“You may have guessed by now that I’m gay, but it’s been a while since I’ve met anyone around here” (Allan)

Anne moved in just up the road from me. She is one of my good friends mother. I always see her out on the beach when we walk the dogs. (Me)

“Bec, this is Jomen junior”

“Did I show you this photo of my Aunty. She died two years ago when I was ten. That’s why I’m living here again” (Ruby)

So do you kids throw bundies at each other these days? (Me)

BIOGRAPHY

Rebecca Dagnall was raised in the suburbs of Perth subsequently drawing endless inspiration for her photographic art practice from Australian suburbia.

Rebecca’s work has been exhibited widely in Australia and more recently internationally. Solo exhibitions since 2009 include shows at Australia’s most prestigious public photography galleries such as the Australian Centre for Photography, the Monash Gallery of Art, Queensland Centre for Photography and this year her work formed part of the main exhibition program for Foto Freo. Rebecca has been involved in many group shows and in 2010 her work was part of a group exhibition of Australian photographers at the Pingyao International Photography festival in China. In 2011 she had work showing at the Lodz photographic festival in Poland and at Gallery Huit in France. Rebecca had her first solo exhibition in 2009 at Turner Galleries in Perth.

Her work can be found in private collections and in the Art Gallery of Western Australia collection. She is represented by Turner Galleries.