While in Adelaide for the Adelaide Festival (see here) we visited the gallery a couple of times (see this blog and this blog). It’s a beautiful gallery but I found the paintings were hung somewhat randomly. So I’ve put them up here in a schema that is all my own. I always like find favourite artists when I visit galleries. Both because I like them and to discover where works I’ve seen in exhibitions are held. So here are those I found in South Australia. This is The long walk, 2024 by Marlene Gilson. We have a number of paintings by her daughter Deanne who depicts similar sized figures in her work. I love the detail in the figures, the colours and the stories Marlene’s paintings tell. This one portrays Chinese migrants who have landed in Adelaide setting out on their long walk to the goldfields of Victoria; thereby avoiding the racist tax imposed on Chinese immigrants landing in my home state. I’m glad they made the arduous journey.
This is Break away! 1891 by Tom Roberts, a painting I’ve always loved. Interesting to find it’s home here in Adelaide.
This is another, much smaller and less familiar to me, Tom Roberts; Winter morning after rain, Gardiner’s Creek, 1885.
I always seek out any paintings by Arthur Streeton; they are so evocative of a time and place. This one is a bit different I think, though still recognisably his. Early summer – gorse in bloom, 1888.
Being in Adelaide there were of course lots of Heysons – father and daughter. This is Hans Heyson’s Red Gold, 1913. The familiar – overly so – rural landscapes that I wasn’t that keen on earlier – too romantic a view of the bush perhaps, also over-exposure, they were everywhere in my youth – we even had a print on the walls of Watchupga Primary School I think! I now appreciate them much more. So calm and restful and evocative.
I was not aware until an exhibition in Melbourne some years ago of his still works and floral paintings which are terrific. This is Autumn fruits, 1928.
And here is Hans’ Poppies, 1907 on top and Noro’s Scabious, 2003 below. Both beautiful.
We had thought we might manage a day trip to the Heysen home at Hahndorf while at the festival where we would have seen more of their work, but our days were too full of cultural, shopping and dining activities. There were enough here to admire. This is Hans Heysen From the apartment window, Paris, 1901.
This is Tomatoes, 2003 by Nora.
I like her still lifes and floral works more than the portraits for which she is better known. Like this one, Ruth, 2003. Too muscular and Sovietish for me!
This is an atypical, at least for me painting by Margaret Preston which I liked very much, The tea urn, 1909. Her floral paintings have been over exposed I feel.
I’ve always loved all of the paintings by Fred Williams and was pleased to find some here. Not that this one is by himself – obviously! This is a portrait of him by John Brack painted in 1958. I was pleased to discover it lives in this gallery. Should be in Victoria.
This is Fred’s Flood bound cattle, 1975. Wonderful thin elongated shape that reinforces the notion of the river in flood.
He has a wonderful sense of colour. This is Coastline, 1981.
As well as a sense of shape. This is Cliff-top, 1971. I’ve not seen a Fred Williams painting that I have not liked. They are all terrific.
I could say the same about Jeffrey Smart. This is his signature look which drew me to him from the start, The Argument, 1982. The accompanying note says the painting exemplifies Smart’s unique understanding of colour, geometry, composition and scale.
This much earlier painting shows that look emerging but not yet in its final form. Robe, 1947.
This is from a few years earlier, in 1944, Erosion. Painted near Hawker in the Flinders Ranges.
I found this one to be absolutely atypical – except perhaps in the placement of the features in the landscape. Holiday resort, 1946.
Roy de Maistre was a great friend of Patrick White, hence I’m always interested in his paintings. I’m surprised that there seem to be one or two in most of our galleries. This is Roman ruins in the south of France, 1924.
And this, very different painting is Pittwater, painted in Sydney in the same year.
There was only one Fairweather painting that I could find, set amongst an installation. I’m interested in him because the first Patrick White novel I read, The Vivisector, is said to be based on him. This is Mangrove, 1961-62.
I’m not sure how many Sydney Nolan works there are in the gallery but I only noticed two. This is Narcissus S.N., 1947. Just so-so I’d say presumptuously.
This is entitled Antarctica, 1964; painted in London after visiting Antarctica that year. He thought it would be flat but instead found a majestic kind of great continent, very much higher than Switzerland, and glaciers the size of Sydney Harbour coming down at steep angles. It doesn’t quite accord with my memory of my visit to that continent.
I love all of John Olsen’s paintings even though it is said he became a bit grumpy and unsupportive of younger artists in his old age. Wonderful colour and shapes. This is Pied Beauty, 1969.
I loved Charles on Country by Vincent Namatjira, 2022. As I like all of his work. Vincent says I use portraiture to look at my identity and my family history. It’s also a way for me to look at the history of the country, to ask who has the power, and why. Let me take you on Country, where the past and the present meet, where cheeky humour is side by side with gut-wrenchingly hard stories – this is Australia in colour.
I’m also pleased to see any painting by Emily Kam Kngwarray. This is Awelye II, 1994. Painted in Utopia. Great colours and the consistency of the strokes give it a mesmerising quality.
I’m also sure I have seen work by these two Indigenous artists in n one of the many exhibitions of Indigenous artists I’ve now seen. This is Ray Thomas, The story of owl ((Dumbiny), 2019.
And Betty Carrington, Ngarrgooroon Country, 2019. Painted at Warmun (Turkey Creek) W. A.
I’m not sure whether I have seen Northern Territory artist, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri before, but I really liked his Death Dreaming, 1978, Papunya. Is calling it spooky but beautiful disrespectful?
I’m pretty certain Chinese artist, Guan Wei has been exhibited at the NGV – maybe the Triennial. Either way I really liked his A mysterious land no. 6, 2007.
All in all, a very satisfying couple of visits to the Art Gallery of South Australia. I look forward to returning one day.
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