Anne Zahalka

Anne Zahalka the Australian artist whose works a usually based in photo media, she has been documenting Australia’s outlandish activities and sports however the photograph that has been taken by Anne ‘The cleaner’ does not have much to do with Australia’s sports but it is counted as an activity for woman do at home. The photo was taken in 1987, it is a photograph of a lady siting on a stool gazing out side her window with her hand resting on her cheek a cloth on her shoulder and her bucket and cloth on the floor. The lady in this photo appears to be tired and she also looks like she is trapped.
‘The iceberg’ photograph also taken my Anne in 1987 there are four men three of then sitting on a long seat and the other three standing behind them, also behind the men is a large painting of the beach. The four men look relax and satisfied, two the these men are not wear t-shirts there skin looks fairly red as if they have been out in the sun.


Two of these photographs are rather different. You can see the juxtaposition in both photos. In the first photo of the cleaner the lady look so gloomy and tired and looks so drained from cleaning and just want to go outside in the other hand the photo of the four men look so cheerful and look like there living there life the painting of the ocean also symbolizes sunny weather surfing and kids having fun. In Zahalka’s artwork ‘The cleaner’ the mood of the artwork is nostalgic this felling is created by the pose and gaze of the sitter. In my opinion the artwork is supposed to challenge the honesty and accuracy of images and history. Also this photo focuses on the gender role of a women and the stereotype that women are supposed to stay home so they can clean and cook for the men of the house.