Tracey Moffat is a famous Australian artist. The above image is from her "something more" collection in 1989.
And this is an image of Nicole Kidman shot by Annie Lebowitz for US Vogues July issue to help promote Nicole's new movie "Australia" which is directed by fellow Aussie Baz Luhrmann. I'm thinking the inspiration for the shot comes from Tracey's work because that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this. Does anyone else see the connection? Not just the red Asian style dress, but also the drama, the over exaggerated styling and the fakeness of the background in both shots, the curtain in Annie's and the painting in Tracey's. What do you think? Is it a tribute to Australian art? or a rip off?
Tracey Moffat is a famous Australian artist. The above image is from her "something more" collection in 1989.
And this is an image of Nicole Kidman shot by Annie Lebowitz for US Vogues July issue to help promote Nicole's new movie "Australia" which is directed by fellow Aussie Baz Luhrmann. I'm thinking the inspiration for the shot comes from Tracey's work because that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this. Does anyone else see the connection? Not just the red Asian style dress, but also the drama, the over exaggerated styling and the fakeness of the background in both shots, the curtain in Annie's and the painting in Tracey's. What do you think? Is it a tribute to Australian art? or a rip off?
I hope it's a tribute, I'm sure as this film was touted as the biggest Australian film ever that there was always going to be references like this in the stills/marketing/PR.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how we could find out? Very interesting reference Hayley!
I'm hoping it's a tribute but it's such a 'grey' area when photography's involved.
ReplyDeleteThe cattle used were actually plastered and used for other main 'outdoor'scenes in northern Australia. They are the real thing?
ReplyDeleteI think you're absolutely correct about the Tracey Moffat "inspiration", as this was my first thought when I saw some of the stills from the movie and the short films Baz Luhrmann has made about the making of the movie. I believe he has already spoken of being inspired by Tracey Moffat, with this dress being a particularly obvious reference, and perhaps he then inspired / instructed Annie Leibowitz - as he's more of a control freak about imagery than she is!
ReplyDeleteThe derivation from Tracey Moffat is transparent. Not merely the dress: it is the clear source of the entire surreal/superreal graphic look of the film, together with the construction of the characters as architypical characatures. I am amazed that there was no acknowledgement of her in the credits.
ReplyDeleteI have just seen the film Australia on Foxtel. I had not seen any references to Tracey Moffat with regards to this film prior to today. I went looking on the web, because I could not believe that no one else, who is familiar with Tracey's film Night Cries and other photographs, could not make comparisons to some of the shots in this film. It seems so obvious to me. I enjoyed the film, some of the scenes were breathtaking, visually stunning. I have to say that some of the best were the ones that reminded me of Moffat's work. Nicole's dress was obvious, but I thought also the scene where Nicole tries to comfort the boy after his mother dies also reminded me strongly of scenes from Night Cries.
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