#RennieAndMe: celebrating an ongoing legacy

Last week, we said goodbye to Melbourne Out Loud, an exhibition that celebrated the life and work of photographer Rennie Ellis. Over its 15 months on display, we welcomed more than 348,000 visitors into the beautiful surrounds of the Victoria Gallery to explore Ellis’s unique and historically significant output. 

He photographed iconic Melbourne places like St Kilda Beach, the MCG, Swanston Street and Sidney Myer Music Bowl. He took portraits of superstars like Tina Turner, Mick Jagger and Grace Jones. He trained his lens on crowds on the biggest days of the year: Melbourne Cup, the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test. 

He befriended people from all walks of life: athletes and celebrities, punks and protesters, beach goers and party lovers. He captured everyone from footy fans to sharpies, Toorak salesgirls to Fitzroy senior citizens. His camera went with him everywhere, holding a mirror up to the city and its inhabitants. 

From street fashion to protest signs, late-night dance floors to everyday life, Ellis captured the spirit of Melbourne in all its colour, grit and glory.

Amongst those captured by Ellis’s lens were queer icon and cabaret star Tim McKew and photographer Robert Imhoff, both of whose portraits featured in Melbourne Out Loud, who shared their memories of Ellis and enriched our understanding of his life, work and legacy. 

To the thousands of people who visited the exhibition, shared memories of Ellis and engaged with this rich archive in person or online: thank you. Your memories and reflections have brought new meaning to the photography on display.

While Melbourne Out Loud is now closed, you can still explore a vast array of images online in our Rennie Ellis collection and share your memories of him here.