100 Moments in Australian Painting
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley November 13, 2014
Author Barry Pearce
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ISBN: 9781742231297
Publisher: New South Publishers
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Website: http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au
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The first artist to feature in this tribute to Australian art and artist is John Glover who painted his piece titled ‘Natives on the Ouse River’, Van Diemen’s Land in 1838. It is oil on canvas and has captured a moment in time, which while once relatively commonplace, is now long gone. It is only thought the medium of such works this lost world can be portrayed; captured forever.
Barry Pearce, former curator of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has created a work of love when he has selected his personal favourites to share readily with the wider community.
For each piece that has been carefully selected there is an entertaining and informative essay describing the artist, the method and fleshing out the tale which has led to the creation of the work. This adds so much more to the canvas, giving it a dimension that does not exist simply by viewing the work in situ.
Many of the works are favourites, familiar to many through prints and visits to the Art gallery of New South Wales. The pictures have often been reproduced in a range of methods over the years with works such as ‘The Golden Fleece, Tom Roberts, (1894) On the Wallaby Track, Fredrick McCubbin (1896) and ‘Spring Frost, Elioth Gruner (1919), being familiar to many and creating a miniature glimpse of life and what it was like. Call some of them a romantic view of life, but the reality is that was life, way back then.
Each of the segments in the book presents a small selection of diverse works by various artists over the years. The Lure of Abroad is one such section where time appears to have simply stopped, as traditional style meets with what, at the beginning of the 19th century, was considered as European influence on the Australian Art scene. Many of the Australian artists travelled to Europe to expand their knowledge and by doing so added a further and lasting magnificence to the world of art and artists in the new country.
Wandering through the pages of this wonderful collection it is easy to relate to and enjoy subject matter that has had, in many cases, a lasting influence on the world of art in Australia. The stories told about the artist and the way each of the pieces has made it into the Gallery collection are equally as fascinating in their own right, as well as telling the tale of what does go on behind the scenes when a piece is up for acquisition.
Modernism, traditional styles, abstract, indigenous and cubism rub shoulders in the pages, presenting a soupcon of the many famous and not so famous works by artists migrating to or born in Australia, each adding their impression of life to a canvas uniquely Australian.
Barry Pearce, former curator of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has created a work of love when he has selected his personal favourites to share readily with the wider community.