ocean to outback: australian landscape painting...
TRANSCRIPT
40 nationalgalleryofaustralia
travell ingexhibition
Fromthewhiteheatofourbeachestotheredheartof
centralAustralia,OceantoOutback:Australianlandscape
painting1850–1950conveysthegreatbeautyanddiversity
oftheAustraliancontinent.CuratedbytheNationalGallery’s
DirectorRonRadford,thismajortravellingexhibitionis
acelebrationoftheGallery’stwenty-fifthanniversary.It
featurestreasuredAustralianlandscapepaintingsfromthe
nationalcollectionandwilltraveltovenuesthroughouteach
Australianstateandterritoryuntil2009.
Encompassingcolonialthroughtomodernistworks,the
exhibitionspansthegreatcenturyofAustralianlandscape
art.From1850to1950landscapewasthemostpainted
andcelebratedthemeinAustralianart.Aswellasimages
whichconveythegeographicalextremesofthecontinent,
OceantoOutbackincludesworksthatreflectsignificant
eventsthattransformedthesocialfabricofAustralia–
droughtsandbushfires,thegoldrushes,theDepression,
andtimesofwar.
Theexhibitionbeginswithadramaticshipwreckscene
offTasmania’seastcoastpaintedbyconvictartistKnutBull
(1811–1889).Thewreckofthe‘GeorgetheThird’1850
depictstheaftermathoftheshipwreckin1835ofthe
convicttransportship.Followingafour-monthvoyagefrom
LondonandboundforHobart,the35-metreshipentered
D’EntrecasteauxChannelontheeveningof12April1835.
Lessthan200kilometresfromitsdestination,theship
strucksubmergedrockandinthecatastrophethatfollowed
127ofthe220convictsonboarddied.2Survivors’accounts
saidtheship’screwfiredtheirweaponsatconvictswho,in
astateofpanic,attemptedtobreakfromtheirconfinesas
thevesselwentdown.
Thepaintingisdominatedbyahugesky,withthe
brokenGeorgetheThirddwarfedbytheexpanse.Waves
crashoverthedecksoftheshipwhileafewfiguresinthe
foregroundattempttosalvagecargoandsupplies.Thisis
aseascapethatevokestrepidationandanxiety.Thesmall
figurescontributetothefeelingofhumanvulnerability
whenchallengedbytheextremitiesofnature.
Australia’sfinestlatecoloniallandscapeartistfrom
theperiod,EugenevonGuérard(1811–1901),painted
imagesofAustraliafromtheperspectiveofanobserver,
explorerandaresident.VonGuérardreceivednumerous
commissionsfor‘homesteadportraits’.Thesecommissions
weregenerallypaintingsofpropertiesownedbygraziers
whowerekeentodisplaytheresultsoftheirhard
laboursontheland.SchnapperPointfrom‘Beleura’1870
waspaintedforJamesButchartwhoownedBeleura
homestead,builtin1863.SchnapperPointislocatednear
MorningtonPeninsulaonMelbourne’sPortPhillipBay
(approximatelyfortykilometresfromMelbourne).Von
Guérarddepictsthesweepingviewsfromtheproperty
acrossthebay–anareathathadbecomeapopular
holidaydestinationforMelbourneresidents.
OceantoOutback:Australianlandscapepainting1850–1950
KnutBullThewreckofthe
‘GeorgetheThird’1850oiloncanvas
84.5x123.0cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,
CanberraPurchasedwithfundsfromtheNerissaJohnsonBequest2001
EugenevonGuérardSchnapperPointfrom
‘Beleura’1870oiloncanvas66.1x104.2cm
NationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraFromtheJames
Fairfaxcollection,giftofBridgestarPtyLtd1995
4August2007–3May2009
…itiscontinuallyexciting,thesecuriousandstrangerhythmswhichonediscoversinavastlandscape,thejuxtapositionoffigures,ofobjects,allthesethingsareexciting.Addtothatagainthepeculiarityoftheparticularlandinwhichwelivehere,andyougetaqualityofstrangenessthatyoudonotfind,Ithink,anywhereelse.RussellDrysdale,19601
ExplorationoftheAustraliancontinentbyEuropeanswasariskyandarduouspursuit.Theprofessionalexplorer–artistThomasBaines(1820–1875)wasoneofagroupofeighteenpeoplewhoformedthe1855NorthAustralianExpeditionparty.Thepurposeofthisexpeditionwastodeterminetheexistenceofnaturalresourcesforsettlementinfarnorth-westAustralia.UnderthecommandofAugustusCharlesGregorytheexpeditionlastedfromAugust1855toNovember1856,withthegroupreachingthemouthoftheVictoriaRiverontheuppernorth-westcoastoftheNorthernTerritoryon15September1855. Baines’sofficialroleinthepartywasasartistandstorekeeper–hemadehundredsofsketches,recordedweatherconditionsandkeptadetailedjournalofdailylife.PaintedinLondonsomethirteenyearsaftertheexpedition,Goutystemtree,AdansoniaGregorii,58feetcircumference,nearacreeksouth-eastofStokesRange,VictoriaRiver1868depictsthepartycampsiteandanenormouswater-yieldingbaobabtree.Theartisthaspaintedhimselfinthelowerright-handside,sittingunderneathamakeshiftsheltersketchingthetree. WhileartistssuchasThomasBainesrecordedthefarreachesofAustralia,themajorsettlementsofSydneyand
Melbournecontinuedtoexpand.Railsoonconnected
townshipslocatedclosetotheBlueMountainsand
DandenongRangestoSydneyandMelbourne.TomRoberts
(1856–1931)andArthurStreeton(1867–1943)usedthe
railtotraveltotheoutskirtsofMelbournewherethey
establishedartists’campsonthefringeofsuburbia,firstat
BoxHillandlateratEaglemont.
TomRobertsfirstvisitedBoxHilltopaintin1882,
accompaniedbyFrederickMcCubbin(1855–1917)and
LouisAbrahams(1852–1903).Theartistssetupcampon
landownedbyalocalfarmer,DavidHouston.3InASunday
afternoonc.1886Robertsdepictsanintimatepicnic.
Framedbyspindlygumsandbathedindappledlight,a
youngcouplerelaxinthebush,thewomanreadingtoher
companionfromanewspaper.Atthetime,abeliefinthe
healthbenefitsofcountryairwasbecomingpopularwith
citydwellers,whosoughtrecreationalactivitiesinthebush
orbytheocean.Roberts’sobservanteyedepictssmall
detailsinthisscenesuchasthetrailofsmokefromthe
man’spipe,thedarkwinebottleonthecrispwhitecloth
andthelightfallingsoftlyontheleavesoftheeucalypts.
ThomasBainesGoutystemtree,
AdansoniaGregorii,58feetcircumference,near
acreeksouth-eastofStokesRange,VictoriaRiver1868
oiloncanvas45.2x66.5cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,
CanberraPurchased1973
42 nationalgalleryofaustralia
artonviewspring2007 43
ArthurStreeton’sTheselector’shut(Whelanonthelog)1890isanimagethatconveysthe‘pioneeringspirit’whichunderpinnedtheAustraliannationalistattitudeofthelatenineteenthcentury.Streetondepictediconicelementsoftheland–the‘blueandgold’ofskyandearth,goldengrassandshimmeringlight,aslendersilhouettedgumtree,andabushpioneer.Heshowsamanatrestfromthetoilofclearingthelandandmakinghishome.ThemandepictedisJackWhelan,thecaretakeroftheEaglemontestatewhereStreetonhadbeengivenpermissiontosetup‘camp’inanoldhouseinthesummerof1888.EarlythenextyearhewasjoinedbyCharlesConder(1868–1909)andTomRoberts.Thecampprovidedtheperfectworkingenvironment–areasonablyisolatedbushlocationclosetothecityofMelbourne. WorksbyAustralianImpressionistssuchasRoberts,StreetonandCondershowcasethenationalcollection’sgreatholdingsfromthisperiod.Alongsidethesearescenesofmodern,mistyMelbourneascapturedbyClariceBeckett(1887–1935).Beckett’slyricalandevocativelandscapesremainedlargelyunknowntoAustralianaudiencesduringherlifetime.Shewasadedicatedartistwho,despitedismissivereviewsandfewsales,continuedtopaintandexhibitregularly.
Beckettalwayspaintedoutdoors,usuallyintheearlymorningorevening,aroundthebaysandstreetsofherfamilyhomeintheMelbournebeachsidesuburbofBeaumaris.Shesoughttoconveythebeautyofherlocalenvironment,beitthroughtheafterglowofabrightsunset,theshimmeringheatofatarredroadorheadlightsshiningthroughmistyrain.Sheexcelledatdepictingparticulareffectsofnature,suchashaze,rain,mistandsmoke.Beaumarisseascapec.1925isameditativeimageofastillsea,atree-linedcliffanddistantcoastline.Becketthaspaidcloseattentiontothesubtleeffectsoflightandshadereflectedinthewater.Thesoftlilacandpinkhuesofthesea,coastlineandskydissolveintobandsofcolour.Thesubjectissotonallyreduceditappearstobealmostabstracted. Workbyanotherfemaleartistoftheperiod,EliseBlumann(1897–1990),depictsaferociousstormsceneonPerth’sSwanRiver.BlumannpaintedtheSwanandthenativemelaleucatreesoftheregionmanytimes.EscapingtheNaziregimethatdevastatedmuchofEurope,German-bornBlumanncametoPerthwithherhusbandandtwochildrenin1938.EducatedattheBerlinAcademyofArtsandtheRoyalArtSchoolBerlin,Blumannwasfamiliar
TomRobertsASundayafternoonc. 1886oiloncanvas41.0x30.8cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1984
ArthurStreetonTheselector’shut(Whelanonthelog)1890oiloncanvas76.7x51.2cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1961
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withthemodernartofEurope.InAustraliahermodernistpaintingwasunconventional,andshewasregardedasavaluedmemberofPerth’sartisticcommunity. InStormontheSwan1946Blumannusesbroadsweepinggestures–stronghorizontalanddiagonalbrushwork–tocapturethepowerofastorm.Windandrainbeatagainstthelimbsofthetreeswhichappeartoalmostfloatinspace.ThisdynamicandsensitivecompositiondisplaysBlumann’smodernapproachtoherartandherdesiretocapturethe‘essentialspirit’ofnature.4Areasofthepainting’ssurfaceareblank,whileothersarescratchedwiththeendofherbrushtoindicatesharp,fastrain.Thisisavigorous,physicalandquicklyexecutedwork,apowerfulresponsetothespeedinwhichastormcanapproachandpass. ModernistexperimentsofcolourtheorybyRolandWakelin(1887–1971)andRoydeMaistre(1894–1968)areincludedintheexhibition.IndeMaistre’srarelyexhibitedForestlandscapec.1920hehasadaptedthesubjectofafelledtreetocreateapaintingconcernedwithmodernistprinciplesofform,rhythm,symmetryandcolour.Historically,thesubjectofthefelledtreeintheAustralianbushhasreflectedartisticinterestsinruralindustry,thenaturalgrandeurofforestsand,insomeinstances,anawarenessofconservationissuesrelatedtolossanddestruction.FordeMaistre,treetrunkshavebeenreducedtoangularplanesofcolourandthecompositionisunited
byvividgreensthatportraytheforestfloorandfoliage.DeMaistrehasexploredarangeofcolourtones,usingsubtleshiftsingreens,redsandbrownsthroughoutthepainting. ForestlandscapebelongstoaperiodwhendeMaistrewasinterestedinthebrokencolourapproachofCézanneandtherelationshipbetweencolourandmusic.HehadstudiedviolinandviolaattheSydneyConservatorium,andartattheRoyalArtSocietyofNewSouthWalesandJulianAshtonArtSchool.WorkingwithmusicianAdrianVerbrugghenhedevelopedacolourmusicscalewherethespectrumofcoloursrelatedtonotesofthemajorandminormusicalscales.ThecolourmusictheorywasfurtherunderscoredbydeMaistre’sinterestinthepsychologicaleffectsofcolouranditsrelationshiptotheexpressionofemotionalstates.QuotingtheEnglishpoet-performerandcolourtheoristBeatriceIrwin,deMaistrewrotethatcolour‘bringstheconsciousrealisationofthedeepestunderlyingprinciplesofnature…itconstitutestheverysongoflifeandis,asitwere,thespiritualspeechofeverylivingthing’.5
AnumberofpaintingsinOceantoOutbackrevealhowartistsusedthelandscapeasinspirationduringdifficulttimesofdrought,depressionorwar.WorksbyRussellDrysdale(1912–1981)andSidneyNolan(1917–1992)explorethedramaandexpressivepossibilitiesinherentintheland.In1944DrysdalewascommissionedbytheSydneyMorningHeraldtoaccompanyjournalistKeithNewmantowesternNewSouthWalestodocument
EliseBlumannStormontheSwan1946oilonpapermountedoncardboardoncompositionboard57.0x67.0cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1978
RoydeMaistreForestlandscapec.1920oiloncardboard35.4x40.6cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1971
(opposite)ClariceBeckettBeaumarisseascapec.1925oiloncardboard50.0x49.0cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1971
theeffectsofthedrought.ThisexperiencesignificantlychangedthewayheviewedtheAustralianlandscape.Thephotographsandsketcheshemadeonthetripinformedmuchofhisworkinthefollowingyears. InEmusinalandscape1950DrysdaleexploresthestrangeandsurrealqualitiesoftheAustralianoutback.Thenativebirdsmovequietlythroughthelandscape,passingaprecariouslyarrangedstructureofwoodandcorrugatediron.Thissculpturedmassofrefuserepresentstheremainsofaprevioussettlement.Itcouldbeanabandoneddwellingorawreckedshiponadriedinlandsea.Drysdalecreatesaslidingspacebetweenrealityandimagination,factandmyth,andcapturesthevastspaceandtimelessnessoftheoutback. Between1947and1950SidneyNolanspentmonthstravellingthroughremoteareasofAustralia.UsingmoneyhehadmadefromasuccessfulexhibitionofQueenslandoutbackpaintingsheldattheDavidJonesGalleryinSydneyinMarch1949,Nolan,accompaniedbyhiswifeCynthiaandstepdaughterJinx,travelledthroughCentralAustralia,
theNorthernTerritory,WesternAustraliaandSouthAustralia.Thistrip,fromJunetoSeptember1949,inspiredabodyofworkandaseriesofpaintingsthatdepictinlandAustraliafromanaerialperspective. InlandAustralia1950isanextraordinaryaerialimageofthe‘heart’ofthecontinent,possiblyoftheDurackRange.WiththecompositionboardlyingflatonatableNolanhaspushedthepaintaroundthesurfaceofthework.Insomeareasthepainthasbeenwipedback,exposingthewhiteundercoatofthecompositionboard.Theundulatingshapesandintensecolouroftheredearthevokean‘otherworldly’sensation–afeelingoftheland’sinherentgrandeur,timelessnessandmystery.Nolandescribedtheworkas‘acompositeimpressionofthecountryfromtheair’.PaintedinhisSydneystudio,heusedphotographstakenfromtheaeroplaneasavisualaid.InlandAustraliaisanexampleofNolan’stechniqueoffusingelementsfromexistinglocationswithalandscaperememberedfromexperience. OceantoOutback:Australianlandscapepainting1850–1950includesimagesofthefurthestpointsof
RussellDrysdale Emusinalandscape
1950oiloncanvas101.6x127.0cm
NationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1970
46 nationalgalleryofaustralia
artonviewspring2007 47
SidneyNolanInlandAustralia1950oilandenamelpaintoncompositionboard91.5x121.0cmNationalGalleryofAustralia,CanberraPurchased1961
distanceandgeographyacrossAustralia.Createdbysomeofourgreatestlandscapeartists,thesepaintingsrevealthecompellingbeauty,extremeconditionsandqualitiesoftheAustralianenvironmentthathavemadelandscapepaintingavitalforceinAustralianculture. a
BeatriceGraltonAssociateCurator,AustralianPaintingandSculpture
TheexhibitioncatalogueisavailablefromtheNationalGalleryofAustraliaShopon0262406420
Furtherinformationatnga.gov.au/OceantoOutback
notes1 RussellDrysdale,interviewbyHazeldeBerg,1960,Canberra:
NationalLibraryofAustralia,[deB27].2 MichaelRoe,AnImperialdisaster:thewreckofGeorgetheThird,
Hobart:BlubberHeadPress,2006,p.12.3 LeighAstbury,‘Memoryanddesire:BoxHill1855–88’,inTerence
Lane(ed.),Australianimpressionism,Melbourne:NationalGalleryofVictoria,2007,p.51.
4 JohnScott&RichardWoldendorp,LandscapesofWesternAustralia,Claremont,WesternAustralia:AeolianPress,1986,p.17.
5 RoydeMaistre,extractfromlectureon‘Colourinrelationtopainting’,inColourinart,exhibitioncatalogue,TheArtSalon,PenzanceChambers,Sydney,1919.
TamworthRegionalGallery,TamworthNSW,4August–22September2007
TasmanianMuseumandArtGallery,HobartTas.,5October–25November2007
RiddochArtGallery,MtGambierSA,8December2007–20January2008
BallaratFineArtGallery,BallaratVic.,2February–30March2008
LawrenceWilsonArtGallery,PerthWA,13April–1June2008
CairnsRegionalGallery,CairnsQLD,21June–27July2008
AraluenArtsCentre,AliceSpringsNT,9August–19October2008
NewcastleRegionArtGallery,NewcastleNSW,8November2008–18January2009
CanberraMuseumandGallery,CanberraACT,31January–3May2009