Tim Page: The Very Edge of the Brightest Light brings together almost 70 photographic works from the Griffith University Art Collection alongside archival materials and ephemera, offering a renewed perspective on one of the most influential war photographers of the 20th century.
Curated by Carrie McCarthy, the exhibition highlights Page’s often-overlooked formalistic approach—revealing his ability to capture moments of striking visual composition within the chaos and devastation of conflict. From children at play in Special Forces camps in Vietnam, to scenes within Sri Lanka’s Ragama Disabled Veterans Clinic, and life on the streets of Cold War-era Cuba, each image explores the tension between aesthetic beauty and the harsh realities of war and its aftermath.
Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue featuring selected works and new writing by photojournalist and researcher Dr Miriam Deprez, whose work examines the visual politics of conflict, occupation, and post-war environments.
In a contemporary landscape saturated with images of crisis, this exhibition reaffirms the enduring emotional and political power of photography, and Page’s lifelong commitment to documenting injustice while advocating for peace.
Artist:
Tim Page (1944–2022) was a pioneering photojournalist whose work during the Vietnam War shaped global perceptions of conflict. A self-taught photographer, he became known for documenting some of the world’s most dangerous environments. Page later expanded his practice into music journalism, anti-war advocacy, and education, eventually serving as an Adjunct Professor in Photojournalism at Griffith University.
Image: Tim Page OAM, Obsolete Prosthetics, 2002, C- type photograph on Fujiflex paper, 50.8 x 76cm. Griffith University Art Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2006. Courtesy of the artists estate.
