Show Us Ya Tits is a docmentary photographic series that closely examines the role and political position of breasts in the lives of women and compares their experiences with the role and political position of breasts in society. Central themes of the series are the sexualisation of anatomy, gender and the representation of the female body in media, and the use of humour in documentary photography.

This series combines portraits of women relating some of the defining experiences of having breasts, with images of breasts displayed in public. I am most interested in how breasts are perceived within popular culture and how women respond to this. I am also interested in the way women see the role and function of their breasts, and how they judge their aesthetic appearance compared to media stereotypes. I am continuing work on the series by looking at the role breasts play in the lives of women who make a living with them, the role of breasts in same sex relationships, and the role of breasts in the lives of women both in Australia and all over the world.

Gemma-Rose Turnbull

Gemma-Rose Turnbull graduated with First Class Honours in Documentary Photography from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University (QCA) in 2005. While studying she was awarded a Griffith University Award for Academic Excellence, and the Queensland Arts Council Photographer for a Year scholarship.

While at QCA she worked as the Editor of the Australian PhotoJournalist Magazine, a journal published by Griffith University that seeks to address issues affecting journalists but more specifically photojournal¬ists. She also traveled to Vietnam to work on two Indochina Media Memorial Foundation workshops with renowned photojournalist Tim Page.

After completing her degree Gemma-Rose spent two years as a photographer with The Northern Star, a daily newspaper based in Lismore, Australia. While there she was named in the top three APN photographers in Australia for 2006, and awarded NSW News Photographer of the Year 2007.

In 2008 Gemma-Rose was awarded the Mary Clerc Scholarship for Achievements in Photojournalism to attend the Missouri Photo Workshop in America. She was also named a finalist and winner of the ‘People’s Choice’ Award for her series Show Us Ya Tits in the Australian Commercial and Media Photographers Projections competition for emerging Australian photographers.

Gemma-Rose completed her Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2008, is currently lecturing Photojournalism at QCA and working on her long-term documentary project Show Us Ya Tits.