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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Robyn Archer

1982
Robert McFarlane

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 40.5 cm x 30.1 cm, image: 34.5 cm x 23.1 cm)

Robyn Archer AO (b. 1948), performer, writer and director, became a star with her shows, Kold Komfort Kaffee (1978), The Conquest of Carmen Miranda (1978) and Tonight: Lola Blau (1979), for all of which she wrote the songs and performed. Her hit one-woman show A Star is Torn (1979-83) toured Australia and ran for a year in London's West End. In the 1990s she began her distinguished career as director of artistic festivals, including the Adelaide Festival, the Melbourne Festival, Tasmania's Ten Days on the Island, and Melbourne's The Light in Winter. In 2021 Archer performed Mother Archer's Cabaret for Dark Times in Hobart, Melbourne and Adelaide, and released her eleventh album Classic Cabaret Rarities.

Archer is internationally renowned for her interpretations of classic European cabaret. Her portrait by Robert McFarlane illustrated a feature published in POL magazine in May 1982, which noted Archer's 'deeply felt philosophical commitment … harking back to those Weimar artists like Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill with whom she shares a marked affinity'.

Purchased 2003
© Robert McFarlane/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Robert McFarlane (age 40 in 1982)

Robyn Archer AO (age 34 in 1982)

Subject professions

Performing arts

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency