Life Exposed, A (ATOM Study Guide)

Sydney-born Robyn Beeche became renowned in London when she created iconic images of the 1980s. At a time when the fashion and art worlds were rich with experimentation, she collaborated closely with counterculture personalities such as designers Zandra Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood, punk impresario Malcolm McLaren and performance artists Divine and Leigh Bowery.

Using the human body as a blank canvas on which to splash images, Beeche used tricks of make-up, lighting and composition to present trompe l'oeil techniques to great effect, long before Photoshop existed. These trademark shots featured in international publications, setting the style zeitgeist for a generation and inspiring video clips and album covers for pop luminaries David Bowie and Visage.

At the peak of her career in the mid-1980s, Beeche began visiting India, 'drawn like a magnet' to photographing Holi, the dramatic colour-throwing festival. She gave up her high-flying London career to more permanently to the Indian pilgrimage town of Vrindavan. She embraced Hinduism and immersed herself in the area's vibrant traditions, playing a vital role in documenting them before they change beyond recognition due to the country's rapid modernisation. She does this photographic documentation as spiritual seva (service) and donates the images to the archive of the ashram where she resides.

Beeche is one of the few foreigners allowed into temples to photograph and her images have been published in a number of books. She also helps run an NGO, Friends of Vrindavan, which conserves the local government and heritage. Beeche's work is currently experiencing a resurgence of interest in Australia, as a recent number of exhibitions and a hardcover book on her work demonstrate.

A Life Exposed (2013) was produced and directed by Lesley Branagan. She is a social researcher and documentary-maker with a focus on Indian culture. The film runs for 28 minutes. A 52-minute version of the film is also available to order on DVD.

Curriculum guidelines
A Life Exposed would be an excellent film to show to middle and senior secondary students of the following subjects:

• Photography
• Studio Arts
• Media Studies
• Civics and Citizenship