Polly Borland (b.1959) is an Australian photographer

Polly Borland (born 1959) is an Australian photographer now living in England. She is known both for her portraits of famous Australians and for several series of stylized portraits.

Biography

Borland was born in Melbourne where her father gave her a camera with Nikkor lenses when she was 16. While at art school, she discovered the American photographer Diane Arbus, the press photographer Weegee and the photographer Larry Clark, all of whom influenced her development. On leaving art school, she became a portrait photographer, contributing to the Australian edition of Vogue. In 1989, she moved to the United Kingdom where she has specialized in stylized portraits. Her work has been featured in newspapers and journals including the Daily Telegraph and The New Yorker.

She has also published a number of books on her work and exhibitions. In 2001, her first series The Babies examined the way men can enjoy dressing up as infants. Bunny(2008) is a collection of photographs about an enormous English actress she calls Gwen, in fact the actress Gwendoline Christie. Gwen is either photographed in the nude or in bunny-like costumes. Smudge (2011) features weird depictions of three of her male friends she uses as models: musician Nick Cave, photographer Mark Vessey and fashion designer Sherald Lambden. All three appear half naked, faces obscured, wearing body stockings, tights, strange wigs and other fanciful objects of clothing. In connection with a February 2013 exhibition of her work as a component of "We Used to Talk About Love" at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the 27-minute documentary Polly Borland - Polymorphous presents her work and creativity, supported by interviews with Borland and her friends.

Borland was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society in 2002. These are awarded to distinguished persons having, from their position or attainments, an intimate connection with the science or fine art of photography or the application thereof.

Polly Borland and her husband, director John Hillcoat, live in Brighton, England.

Works

Borland's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, taken in connection with her golden jubilee in 2002, is unusual for its brightness and lack of clear detail. It was exhibited at London'sNational Portrait Gallery and at Windsor Castle.

http://www.pollyborland.com/