Other people's children

BACKGROUND Other People's Children was exhibited at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery as part of the 2010 National Works on Paper biennial award under the curatorial theme of Contemporary Portraiture. One of Australia's most prestigious awards and acquisitive exhibitions, it supports and promotes contemporary Australian artists. Both figuration and humanism have increasingly come into question during the postmodern period and this has been defined by disputations that surround ideas of identity (the lack of an 'essential self') considered through a multiplicity of views. Following the questioning by artist and historian Davor Džalto of postmodern interpretations of a sustainable personal identity, Westwood posits a positive role of the postmodern view for further artistic development. CONTRIBUTION The work focuses on the potential relationships adults may have in society in relation to children. In her exhibition essay Vivien Gaston (University of Melbourne) wrote: "Peter Westwood's frontal mugshot depictions...demonstrate a prevalent tactic in contemporary portrait making in which artists adopt an approach of seemingly objective detachment. Their youthful subjects confront the viewer frontally, without context or guile. Instead of attempting the expression of emotions, which is always subject to social prescription, artists bear witness to the sheer reality of their presence." Westwood's ongoing research explores the larger function we hold as adults within a society and our role within a greater biological force - outside of our individual focus. SIGNIFICANCE Westwood was invited to contribute work to this exhibition by a national peer review panel including Amy Barrett Lennard (PICA), Malcolm Bywaters (University of Tasmania), Jane Devery (NGV), Julie Ewington (QAG), Franchesca Cubillo (NGA), Michael Desmond (National Portrait Gallery), Rhonda Davis (Macquarie University Art Gallery), and Bala Starr (Ian Potter Museum of Art).