Andrew Chapman

Biography

Andrew Chapman was born in Melbourne on 29 June 1954 to parents John L. Chapman, export manager at the Australian Wheat Board, and Elizabeth R. Chapman (Stubbings) a writer. He trained at Prahran College of Advanced Education 1974-6, where he was taught by Athol Shmith, John Cato and Paul Cox, whom he remembers;

"These 3 fabulous image makers helped inspire a generation of photographers that went on to make their mark in Australian society and overseas...The Photographic dept, in the bowels of the Arts Building was eternally underfunded, except in one area, "creativity". I for one still remember many of the sayings Cato would weekly give out, like, "evolution breeds in adversity"

In his studies Chapman specialised in documentary, photojournalism & landscape photography. From 1978 he first worked for The Melbourne Times, then for Syme Community Newspapers and has since been a freelancer contributing toTime, on the cover of which his work featured more than a dozen times, BRW and The Bulletin, as well as Australian newspapers.

Rural Australia, its human and animal inhabitants, European and indigenous, the harshness and beauty of the Australian bush landscape, its vernacular architecture, and lively Australian Federal politics are Chapman's main photographic subjects. All entail frequent long-distance travel across the island continent, and the work of Jeff Carter is an inspiration to him in that regard; his advice to other photographers is to "explore Australia’s ‘inner circle’, away from the cities and coast."

Since 2006, Chapman has published more than a dozen books and has made photographic contributions to others. He has exhibited in Australia, France and the USA.

In 2011 Chapman had a liver transplant, during which he was almost blinded due to a viral infection, prompting him to hold a 2012 exhibition Nearly A Retrospective, a survey of four decades of his work. Chris Franklin recorded Andrew's recollection of events around the transplant and reflections on his lifelong calling in photography in Yellow which won the international Lift-Off Global Network Best Short Documentary in 2019.

MAP Group

In 1998, with a group of other professional photographers seeking to rekindle the tradition of documentary photography, Chapman founded MAP – Many Australian Photographers, its title later simplified to MAP Group, with Chapman the inaugural president. He initiated a project of the group resulting in a widely viewed exhibition that toured the country for 5 years, and publication; ‘Beyond Reasonable Drought’, recording global warming-induced drought across Australia.

Chapman's mentorship of other photographers extends also beyond the MAP Group.

Awards

Finalist in:

Moran Photographic Prize

New North Photographic Prize

Bowness Photography Prize

Head On Landscape Prize.

In 2014, Chapman was awarded an OAM in the Australia Day Honours for his service to the arts as a photographer.

Exhibitions

Solo

2026–27, 3 September–19 February:The Green Bus. City Gallery, Melbourne Town Hall

2017: Giving Life, charting the pathways of Organ Donation, Flinders Medical centre Adelaide, touring nationally.

2016, July: Giving Life, charting the pathways of Organ Donation, Magnet Galleries, Bourke St Melbourne

2016/2017, 10 November–29 January: Drive Line: Andrew Chapman at Ford Broadmeadows, Gee Lee-Wik Doleen Gallery, Craigieburn Hume Global Learning Centre, 75-95 Central Park Avenue, Craigieburn

2015: Wool & Politics, Metropolis gallery, Geelong

2012: Nearly A Retrospective, 60 print show survey of four decades, Burrinja Gallery, Upwey

2012, May–June: Palimpsest, Images from a Disappearing Landscape, Hume Global Learning Centre, Craigieburn

2011: The Mark Of Time, New North Gallery, Fairfield

2008, April–May: Campaign & Italian Visions, New North Gallery, Fairfield

2007, February – April: Campaign, Old Parliament House, Canberra

2004 – 2012: The Shearers, 60 monochrome documentary Images. Touring the Eastern States of Australia at 14 venues including The Monash Gallery of Art, The State Library of NSW, Shear Outback Hay NSW, Museum of The Riverina, The National Wool Museum, Geelong and The Daylesford Foto Biennale 2007.

2005, October: Knox Sporting Heroes, 32 B&W documentary Images celebrating community sporting personalities. Knox City Council Offices and other locations.

Group

2025, 23 August–19 October: Long Exposure: The Legacy of Prahran College

2025, May: Beyond the Basement, Magnet Galleries, Docklands, Melbourne

2025: March–May: The Basement, Museum of Australian Photography

2008: Beyond Reasonable Drought, Old Parliament House, Canberra and touring nationally over 5 years. Chapman led 38 professional photographers to document climate change and drought across Australia

2006, July: Making Hay. Instigator of a team of 27 professional photographers documenting the NSW town of Hay in April 2006, donating 100 prints to the Hay community as a visual record. Exhibited at Shear Outback Museum, Hay, Span Gallery, Melbourne 2006 and Castlemaine State Festival in March–April 2007

2006, April: Australian Chronicles, 11 Prints from "The Shearers" series, part of a group show. Photo Visions Gallery, Montpellier, France. Images reshown during the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

2005-2007: Snapping St Arnaud. Chapman led a team of 16 professional photographers in documenting the Victorian town of St Arnaud in Sept 2005, donating 107 prints to their community as a visual record. Exhibited at the Kara Kara Shire Hall, St Arnaud. Feature exhibition, "Daylesford Foto Biennale", June 2007

2005, July: Leica CCP Photojournalism Awards, 6 monochrome prints on political campaigns. Centre For Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy, Vic.

2005, June Che Evoca, landscapes of Italy, CP Photo Galleries, East Sydney, NSW.

1998: Ararat, A Rural Town In Focus. Instigator of a team of 40 professional photographers that documented the Victorian town of Ararat in 1998, donating 107 prints to their community as a visual record. Exhibited 1998, Ararat Regional Gallery, Ararat, Vic.

Publications

Loftus-Hills, Stella; Chapman, Andrew (September 2026). The Green Bus: Andrew Chapman's 55-year photographic journey through the streets of Melbourne. Melbourne: City of Melbourne.

Chapman, Andrew; Coyne, Michael; Attwood, Alan; McArdle, James (2025). Fill the Frame (1st ed.). Ballarat East, Vic.: Ten Bag Press. ISBN 9780646720562.

Chapman, Andrew; Lee, Tim (2019). Woolsheds. Volume 2 Volume 2. Ten Bag Press. ISBN 978-0-646-80382-1. OCLC 1128832876.

Chapman, Andrew; McNicol, Adam, (writer of introduction.) (2016), The farm : images of rural Australia, Echo Publishing, ISBN 978-1-76040-428-4{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Chapman, Andrew; Watson, Don, 1949-, (writer of added text.) (2015), Political vision : a photographic journey through Australian politics, Echo, ISBN 978-1-76006-736-6{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Chapman, Andrew; Lee, Tim (2014). The long paddock: a photographic journey along Australia's longest stock route. The Five Mile Press. ISBN 978-1-74346-726-8. OCLC 879460429.

Chapman, Andrew; Burrinja Gallery (host institution.) (2012), Andrew Chapman : nearly a retrospective : 29 August-28 October 2012, Upwey, Vic. Burrinja Gallery*

Chapman, Andrew (2012). Around the sheds: life in and around the woolsheds. Ferntree Gully, VIC: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd : [distributor] Grantham Book Services Ltd : [distributor] The Five Mile Press : [distributor] David Bateman Ltd : [distributor] PSD Promotions (Pty) Ltd. ISBN 978-1-74346-004-7. OCLC 1282487089.

Chapman, Andrew; Dove, Melanie Faith, (photographer.) (2013), Working dogs : a photo documentary of the Australian working dog, The Five Mile Press, ISBN 978-1-74346-160-0{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Contributions

McNicol, Adam, (writer of introduction.); Nolen, Luke, (writer of foreword.); Chapman, Andrew, (photographer.); Butcher, Noel, (photographer.); Murcia, Jaime, (photographer.) (2018), They're racing at Manangatang, Ten Bag Press, ISBN 978-0-646-98528-2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Chapman, Andrew; Challenor, Vince, 1933-, (writer of introduction.) (2017), Quilpie : a pictorial history of an iconic Queensland outpost, Ballarat East, Victoria Ten Bag Press, ISBN 978-0-646-96906-0{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Aust. Conservation Fdn (August 2015), Heartland - Celebrating 50 Years of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Five Mile Press Pty Limited, The (published 2015), ISBN 978-1-76006-583-6

Chapman, Andrew; Butcher, Noel, (photographer.); Murcia, Jaime, (photographer.) (2013), Camperdown and its cup : heart and soul of country racing, Ballarat East, Victoria Ten Bag Press, ISBN 978-0-646-91098-7{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Hansen, Christine; Griffiths, Tom; CSIRO; Hansen, Christine; Griffiths, Tom (2012), Living with fire : people, nature and history in Steels Creek, CSIRO Publishing, ISBN 978-0-643-10480-8

Cover of Errington, W; Van Onselen, P (19 December 2011), John Winston Howard: The definitive biography, Melbourne University Press

Mills, Hanna; Attwood, A. (Alan), 1957-; Murrindindi (Vic.). Council (2010), Beyond age : from the ashes - portraits of resilience, love and loss, Murrindindi Shire Council{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Economou, Nicholas; Ghazarian, Zareh; Economou, Nicholas; Ghazarian, Zareh (18 October 2010), Australian politics for dummies, Wiley Publishing (published 2010), ISBN 978-1-74216-982-8

Collections

National Library of Australia

The State Library of Victoria

Monash Gallery of Art

City of Montpellier

City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection