On the street where I live - City Gallery curator talk

On the street where I live showcases the photography of Viva Jillian Gibb (1945–2017). Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, she documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived. For nearly two decades, this was the primary focus of her work. Jewel-like portraits predominate, with her subjects set in a distinctive inner-suburban landscape. Grounded in her strong social and political convictions, Gibb created a sympathetic portrait of the community during a transformative period in Melbourne’s history.
The exhibition draws on a generous donation of more than 200 of Gibb’s photographs to Melbourne Art Trust in 2025. It was made by the artist’s children, Sybil Gibb and Rupert Duffy. On the street where I live: Viva Gibb's portrait of North and West Melbourne examines this significant body of work and re-introduces the sophisticated practice of an artist whose photographs have largely lain dormant for 30 years.
Curator biography
Savannah Smith works with the City of Melbourne’s Art and Heritage Collection. She has been employed across the museums and galleries sector internationally, including at the National Galleries of Scotland, in Edinburgh, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, in Venice. Most recently, she was the gallery manager of Australian Galleries, in Melbourne. Savannah holds a master’s degree in art curatorship from the University of Melbourne and an honours degree in art history from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

Image credit: Viva Gibb, 64 Capel Street, West Melbourne (detail), c. 1975-80, © Courtesy of the Estate of Viva Gibb

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