10/08/2026
I recently had the chance to see Brassaï: Secret Paris at Heide, and I came away feeling that I’d experienced much more than just an exhibition of photographs - https://www.heide.com.au/exhibitions/brassai/
As a fine art photographer, I found Brassaï’s work both fascinating and strangely familiar. His photographs reminded me yet again that great photography isn’t necessarily about finding spectacular subjects. It can be about slowing down, really looking and recognising something extraordinary in the ordinary.
His Paris at night — the streets, cafés, lovers, workers, graffiti, shadows and characters — felt atmospheric and almost dreamlike. He wasn’t simply documenting the city; he was interpreting it, finding mood, mystery and beauty in places that could easily have been overlooked.
What stayed with me was his use of light and shadow. There was a wonderful sense of patience in the work — of waiting for the right moment when a scene became something more than what it first appeared to be.
It’s also worth noting that the exhibition notes indicated that what was captured as spontaneous moments was often a recreation, not because it hadn’t happened but because the camera and film technology of that ear required long exposure times
Walking through the exhibition also made me reflect on my own photography. It reinforced for me that fine art photography is ultimately about how we see, rather than simply what we photograph.
Brassaï’s Paris may be long gone, but his way of looking at the world still feels remarkably relevant.
A really worthwhile exhibition, and one I’m glad I took the time to see.
This exhibition will present the most comprehensive survey of the work of the eminent Hungarian-born, French photographer Brassaï yet to be seen in Australia.
