After resigning from journalism cadetship at the Sydney Sun, Charles Blackman (12 August 1928-2018) hitchhiked to Brisbane in early 1948 for his first visit. He met the young artists of the Miya Studio, including Laurence Hope, Don Savage, and Laurence Collinson, and the closely affiliated group of Barjai writers, including Barrett Reid, and, most significantly,…
Continue reading » “Charles Blackman’s connection to Brisbane”
This portrait of Charles Blackman (1928-2018) by Jon Molvig (1923-70) alludes both to the friendship between Molvig and Blackman and to Blackman’s series of ‘Alice’ paintings in which he was immersed at the time — Blackman is depicted surrounded by flowers and accompanied by a white rabbit. Jon Molvig ‘Charles Blackman’ Molvig and Blackman established…
Continue reading » “Charles Blackman surrounded by flowers and a white rabbit”
The preparation of artworks by Gallery Conservators for the exhibition ‘Lure of the Sun: Charles Blackman in Queensland‘ offered an opportunity to observe Blackman’s deliberate selection of certain materials and techniques to depict his subjects. This exhibition explores Blackman’s formative relationships with Queensland artists and writers that were pivotal in his development as one of Australia’s…
Continue reading » “Lyrical Lines: Examining two Drawings by Charles Blackman”
In 1956, Barbara Blackman brought home a talking book machine and one of the first books the Blackmans ‘read’ was Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This was Charles Blackman’s first encounter with the story and, importantly, it lacked any illustrations to impose on his imagination. Barbara came to stand for Alice herself. Her struggle…
The Gallery acknowledges the recent passing of Judy Cassab (15 August 1920 – 3 November 2015), one of Australia’s much loved and respected artists and best known for being the first woman to twice win the prestigious Archibald portrait prize. Judy Cassab was born in 1920 in Vienna of Hungarian parents. She studied in Budapest…
The Gallery acknowledges the passing of Ray Crooke AO (12 July 1922–5 December 2015), and we pause to reflect on his unique vision, particularly of the tropical north of Queensland, and celebrate his extraordinary contribution to Australian art. Crooke was a romantic-realist artist whose images emerged from an acute and highly sensitive observation of the…
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.