Carol Jerrems

Carol Joyce Jerrems (14 March 1949 – 21 February 1980) was an Australian photographer/filmmaker whose work emerged just as her medium was beginning to regain the acceptance as an art form that it had in the Pictorial era, and in which she newly synthesizes complicity performed, documentary and autobiographical image-making of the human subject, as exemplified in her Vale Street.

Known for documenting the revolutionary spirit of sub-cultures including that of indigenous Australians, disaffected youth, and the emergent feminist movement of Melbourne in the 1970s, her work has been compared to that of internationally known Americans Larry Clark–of a slightly older generation–and Nan Goldin, as well as fellow Australian William Yang.

Jerrems died at age 30. Her short yet productive seven-year career parallels that of contemporary Francesca Woodman.

From 30 November 2024 to 2 March 2025, the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra has an exhibition of Jerrems' portraits.