Public collections in Queensland have few outstanding examples of the work of our early artists. Of the major works dating from the 19th century, the Panorama of Brisbane 1880 by JA (Joseph Augustine) Clarke (1840–90), Queensland‘s first professional artist and art teacher, is undoubtedly the best known and most significant.1 Visit the nearly 4–metre–long panorama…
It’s that time of the year in Brisbane when purple reigns with a lavender canopy covering the city from October to November — and of course, our own version, captured in oil — a signal that spring is here and summer is on its way. The jacaranda painted by R. (Richard) Godfrey Rivers (1858-1925) is…
Continue reading » “What is under the jacaranda: Keeping the painting under glass”
It’s Jacaranda season in Brisbane, the time of year that splashes of fluorescent lavender coloured blooms dot the landscape and end with an eye-catching display of purple rain. Even though the flowering season is only a couple of months, the Gallery’s painting Under the jacaranda 1903 by R. (Richard) Godfrey Rivers (1858-1925) is always in full…
Continue reading » “What’s under the Jacaranda: Hidden in the X–rays”
Do you look forward to that time of year when you can walk under a jacaranda tree in full bloom — the gorgeous carpet of fallen purple blossoms caressing your feet, then looking down, the intense purple colour suddenly turns your world upside down — the grass has now become the sky! This is the…
Continue reading » “What’s under the Jacaranda: Delve into the colour purple”
After becoming fascinated by the legend of the Brisbane-made Spencer motorcycles, Cath Charlton began delving into the myths and facts about this important Brisbane story. David Spencer (1870-1958) crafted a distinctly Australian racing bike by hand from locally cast parts in the first decade of the twentieth century. It is believed that the Spencer Motorcycles…
Continue reading » “Brisbane-born: The Spencer motorcycle story”
Though Australia’s link with the land is strong, and the ways in which we’ve used it have largely determined the Australian character, our interaction with the land is often contested. Here, we gain insights into works that respond to mining in Queensland. Mining in Queensland For Indigenous Australians, the land is everything. Through their care,…
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.