The Artist

The Artist by Lucy Steeds has to be one of the best books that I have read so far this year. The novel is set in 1920 when Joseph, a young writer, has the chance to spend time with and interview the reclusive artist Edouard Tarttuffe at his studio in Provence. This is Joseph's chance to make his name as a journalist.

Joseph lives with his family in England but relishes the chance to escape from a family environment where his father constantly shows his displeasure that his son chose not to enlist to serve in the British Army during World War One. His older brother, who did serve, is still in hospital struggling to return to 'normal life'.

In Provence he meets not only Tartuffe but also Tartuffe's niece, Ettie, who lives with her uncle as his housekeeper and general dogsbody. Ettie wants to be an artist but receives no encouragement from her uncle or from his agent who appears when a painting is ready for sale. Ettie desperately wants to escape her present existence.

Joseph soon discovers many secrets concerning the artist and his chosen life in seclusion. He and Ettie also gradually share their own secrets and concerns as they plan life when Joseph has to leave Provence.

The novel is beautifully written and at times the writing flows like a poem as we gradually learn more about the three main characters, their lives and inspiration. The power of Art is constantly felt throughout the novel.

Yarra Birrarung: Artists, Writers and the River

The Yarra River is an important feature of Melbourne though its significance is often overlooked. In Yarra Birrarung: artists, writers and the river Judith Buckrich has provided an historical perspective of the river before and since the arrival of Europeans in the colony of Port Phillip in the 1830s to the present day.

Much of the story of the river is told via paintings and photographs of the river during the past two hundred years. The author recounts the many ways that the river has been used and abused over time. Chapters include the effects on the river as the European settlement expands, changing landscapes, artists colonies that have been established along the river, flooding and changing the course of the river and the use of the river today.

This is a beautiful book with illustrations and accounts written by people associated with or living near the river in order to convey the importance of the river not only to Melbourne but also to other settlements near the course of the river. Anyone interested in the history of Melbourne should read this book.

The Boy from Brunswick: Leonard French - a biography

The Australian artist, Leonard French (1928-2017), in Melbourne is possibly best known for the stained glass window forming the ceiling of the Great Hall, National Gallery of Victoria since the opening of the building in August 1968. He used the glasswork in the ceiling 'to paint with light' and the work has become a feature of the art gallery. It is not unusual to see people lying on the floor gazing at the magnificent ceiling.

 

Reg MacDonald, in this impressive publication, has attempted to write a history of this Australian artist and his work. This is a detailed biography of the artist who was born in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

Autumn in the garden 1960

 The book contains photographs showing examples of some of his work which included colourful abstracts using enamels on hessian or board as well as his work in stained glass.

The stained glass window at Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash University is another of his stained glass masterpieces.

This book makes a useful contribution to the telling of the story of the history of Australian art.

Fred Williams infinite horizons

Australia is a special place with distinctive landscapes. Some artists have been able to capture the essence of those landscapes especially the impressionist painters Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts who captured the imagination of the Australian population at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with their paintings of the Australian bush. Later in the twentieth century the artwork of Fred Williams provided Australians with an alternative view of the landscape of their country.

The National Galley of Victoria (NGV) in Federation Square currently has a retrospective exhibition of the work of Fred Williams providing examples of the range of artworks he produced along with brief commentary on influences in his artwork. Fred Williams was born in January 1927 and died in April 1982. It is particularly the works painted in the 1960s and 1970s that have captured the imagination of those viewing his works and caused many of us to rethink the way we view the Australian landscape. It is his use of colour and the often minimalistic approach to the painting with the emphasis on space and emptiness that encourages the viewer to see what he sees. Standing in front of a painting that at first glance contains a number of strokes and splodges on an overall background of colour you gradually see the perspective and depth created as the landscape emerges in the painting. Many of his artworks were part of a series - paintings of the You Yangs, the Dandenongs, Lysterfield, bushfires, waterfalls and later Weipa and the Pilbra. He also painted coastal landscapes.

The NGV has published Fred Williams Infinite Horizons written by Deborah Hart to coincide with the exhibition. It is a detailed study of the life and work of Fred Williams illustrated with copies of his paintings appearing in the exhibition.

The NGV has also republished Fred Williams The Pilbra Series about the this special collection now held by the gallery. The first edition was produced when the NGV first displayed the collection in 2002.