Polly Borland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Polly Borland
Borland in 2018
Born	1959 (age 65–66) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Photographic Artist
Years active	c. 1980–present
Spouse(s)	John Hillcoat
Parent(s)	Kevin Borland

Polly Borland (born in 1959) is a famous Australian photographer. She lived in England from 1989 to 2011. Now, she lives in Los Angeles, USA. She is well-known for her special portraits and her art photography.

About Polly Borland

Polly Borland was born in Melbourne, Australia. When she was 16, her father gave her a camera. She studied at Prahran College and finished in 1983. There, she learned about other photographers like Diane Arbus and Larry Clark. These artists helped shape her own style.

After college, Polly became a portrait photographer. She took pictures for the Australian version of Vogue magazine. In 1989, she moved to the United Kingdom. There, she became known for her unique and stylish portraits. Her photos have been in newspapers and magazines all over the world.

Polly has also created several photo series that became books and exhibitions.

• In 2001, she released The Babies. This series looked at how men enjoyed dressing up as infants.
• In 2008, she created Bunny. This collection featured photos of English actress Gwendoline Christie. The Bunny book also included a fairy tale by Will Self and a poem by Nick Cave.
• In 2011, she released Smudge. This series showed abstract pictures of three of her friends. These friends were musician Nick Cave, photographer Mark Vessey, and fashion designer Sherald Lambden.

In February 2013, a documentary about her work was released. It was called Polly Borland - Polymorphous.

In 2002, Polly Borland received a special award. She was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

Polly Borland is married to director John Hillcoat. They live together in Los Angeles, California.

Her Work

Polly Borland has created many interesting works. These include photo series, books, and even videos.

Films and Videos

• Polly Borland - Polymorphous (a documentary about her)
• MOCAtv - IO Echo "Berlin, It's All A Mess" (a music video she directed with John Hillcoat)

Famous Photos and Shows

Polly Borland's work has been shown in many art galleries and museums. Here are some of her important exhibitions:

• 1984: Polly Borland, George Paton Gallery, Melbourne
• 1999: The Babies, Meltdown Festival, London
• 1999: Featured in "Glossy: Faces Magazines Now" at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• 2000: Australians, National Portrait Gallery, London
• 2001: Australians, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• 2002: The Babies, Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne
• 2008: Bunny, Murray White Room, Melbourne and Michael Hoppen Gallery, London
• 2010: Smudge, Murray White Room, Melbourne
• 2011: Smudge, AB Gloria, Madrid; Other Criteria, London; Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York City
• 2012: Everything I want to be when I grow up, University of Queensland Art Museum
• 2013: YOU, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York
• 2014: Wonky, The Australian Centre of Photography, Melbourne

Her photos have also been shown at other places. These include the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

One of Polly Borland's most famous photos is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace asked her to take this picture in 2002. It was to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The photo is known for being very bright and showing the Queen up close. It was displayed at London's National Portrait Gallery and at Windsor Castle.

Her work was also part of the "Monster Theatres" exhibition. This was the March 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Awards She's Won

Polly Borland has been recognized for her amazing work.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are big awards in Australia. They celebrate the best in Australian music every year.