Inside/Outside (U.S.A) is a striking new exhibition by artist James Bryans, set to run from 4 March to 15 March 2025 at FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery in Melbourne. This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Bryans’ personal experience of America, capturing the vast and iconic landscapes that he encountered during his first trip to the U.S. Through his lens, viewers are invited to explore the country’s overwhelming scale, beauty, and cultural significance in a way that goes beyond typical media representations.
Bryans’ work reflects his deep emotional connection to the American landscape, which he describes as complex, awe-inspiring, and strangely beautiful. Before his trip, like many, Bryans’ perceptions of the U.S. were shaped by film and television—mediums that often fail to capture the true scale of the country’s natural and cultural landmarks. However, upon experiencing these places firsthand, from the grandeur of the Grand Canyon to the symbolic Statue of Liberty, Bryans found that these vast spaces evoked a much deeper and more intimate response.
The exhibition invites viewers to step into these landscapes through Bryans’ eyes, experiencing not just the physical beauty of the places but the emotional impact they have. The artist’s works aim to evoke both the wonder and complexity of encountering such monumental sites while reflecting on the idea of being an outsider in a place that is both familiar and foreign.
James Bryans has been exhibiting since the mid-nineties, presenting work in national and international institutions such as Stills Gallery, NSW, the National Portrait Gallery, UK, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Linden Gallery, and Green Floor Gallery, VIC, and the Melbourne Immigration Museum. At Tweed River Regional Gallery he has been selected as a finalist for the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture (2006) and the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award (2003, 2002 Judges Commendation, 2000, 1999). In 2008, ArtWorld Magazine featured him in their Photography Supplement edition. In 2024 he was selected as part of the Head On Photo Festival Open Program. His work is held in private collections within Australia and overseas.
Exhibition Details:
- Exhibition Dates: 4 March – 15 March 2025
- Hours:
- Tuesday – Friday: 12pm – 7pm
- Saturdays: 12pm – 4pm
- Admission: Free
- Venue: FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
Source: FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery
