The Unflinching Gaze is is a major exhibition of over 200 photographs and video works by 62 artists, both Australian and international, that deals with how the male figure has been represented in photo media over the past 140 years.

It is also an important opportunity to inform and educate the Bathurst community and affirm the local LGBTI community.

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery director Richard Perram, who curated the exhibition, said its opening night had around 240 people in attendance. 

A forum about the exhibition was also held earlier in the day and was attended by around 50 people. 

An afterparty, also attended by more than 100 people, was held after the opening, celebrating the exhibition and involving performances. 

Mr Perram said the exhibition is something very different from what the gallery normally offers its patrons. 

“It is the largest exhibition the gallery has every done; it has over 200 works,” he said.

“Of those 200 works, about 80 of them came from overseas.

“It is the first sort of exhibition we’ve done that works came from overseas and we’ve put them with contemporary Australian works.” 

Mr Perram also felt that the theme of the exhibition and its international flare may have been an Australian, and perhaps international, first. 

The exhibition explores LBGTI issues through the various works, presenting some pieces that would have been quite controversial at the time of their creation. 

While the exhibition was in no way timed to coincide with the same-sex marriage postal survey, the timing of it was in some ways “fortuitous”. 

“People’s appreciation of art and culture are so much more improved when there are different views of things,” Mr Perram said.

“This helps the debate and I think it helps show the artists’ different ways of seeing the world.” 

Unflinching Gaze will be at BRAG until December 3. 

People can view the exhibition daily, with opening hours to be found on the gallery’s website. 

Mr Perram said children would need adult supervision due to the content of the exhibition, while there is also a room that can only be entered by those over 18 years old for the same reason.