This black and white photographic portrait of Australian artist Mirka Mora was taken by the Italian-born Melbourne-based fashion photographer, Bruno Benini in 1974. It is part of the Bruno Benini photography archive (1950-2001) acquired by the Powerhouse Museum with funding assistance from the Commonwealth Government's National Cultural Heritage Account. While the Benini archive contains mostly fashion shots taken between 1950 and the mid-1980s which capture the changing mood of these decades, it also includes a suite of important portraits of actors, writers, dancers, designers and artists like this classic shot of Mirka Mora from the 1970s.

Around the same time that Benini photographed Mirka, she also took a portrait of Bruno peering out from one of her dolls houses, and that image is also part of the Benini archive.

Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator 2009

Photographic print, portrait, black and white, mounted on card, portrait of Mirka Mora, photograph by Bruno Benini, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1974
Portrait of artist Mirka Mora, holding one of her dolls, with dolls in background.
On reverse, upper centre, written in pencil, 'ARTIST MIRKA MORA IN HER STUDIO WITH HER DOLLS / JULY '74 / PRINTED 1974', upper left, written in pencil, '74' in circle twice.

If Bruno Benini particularly liked a shot he would make a print or as Hazel Benini recalled 'create a blow-up and then put it up on his studio wall'. The walls of the studio were covered with these 20 x 24 inch prints. Unfortunately, some of these prints were damaged over the years and thrown out. In her private file of personal shots Hazel Benini has some photographs showing these studio walls. The archive also contains some references to this wall.

The Bruno Benini photography archive was acquired by the Powerhouse Museum with assistance from the Australian Government through the National Cultural Heritage Account.

2009/43/1-2/83

1974

589 mm

495 mm

2 mm