Margaret preston brief biography

Newly and happily married, freed from financial constraints and in the full authority of her middle age, Preston set about challenging the entrenched traditionalism of Australian art. She narrowed her focus to the 'laboratory table' of still-life itself, harvesting a series of richly decorative and technically adventurous images throughout the s.

Characteristic of these was an interest in asymmetry and patterning, the close-up observation of natural patterns and particular flora and an increasing austerity of design allied to colour raised to an intense pitch. Her printmaking was a catalyst in this process, the restrictions of the medium leading her to further distil her ideas. Crafts in general were always important to her, refreshing her for more serious work and allowing a field for experimentation.

Through her relationship with the publisher Sydney Ure Smith she began to air her theories about art, principally in his journals, Art in Australia, The Home and Australia National Journal. Her single urgent plea was for a truly indigenous national art, liberated from 'Grandpa G. Britain' and the threat of internationalism by a study of Aboriginal art.

Attracted by the strong design and conceptual nature of Aboriginal art, she travelled widely in Australia to gain first-hand experience, particularly enjoying the art of Central Australia with its widespread use of curvilinear and circular elements. Her friendship with Fred McCarthy, curator of anthropology at the Australian Museum, Sydney, deepened her understanding of the meaning behind Aboriginal art and its function as a highly specialised language to the initiated.

But her enthusiasm was beset by contradictions, especially relating to the totemic aspects of this art, which she advised ignoring in any adaption for western artists. Her delight in the rhythms, colours, symbols and mental processes behind Aboriginal art came to have a direct influence on her work. The sumptuous colour of the s was gradually replaced by a more mono-chromatic palette, form was further simplified and a dynamic visual shorthand employed.

By the s this style had become her predominant one and remained so until the end of her life, although, as always, she diversified when a new medium or enthusiasm attracted her attention. Her commitment was punctuated by extensive travel in south-east Asia, China, India, Japan, Europe and the Americas, and she was a consistently controversial figure in artistic circles with her outspoken opinions, competitive nature and dramatic changes of direction.

Her work, modestly priced, was popular with both fellow artists and the public and has remained so, having a widespread influence on the contemporary generation of painters. She was arguably the most important artist of the interwar period, both her work and her theories providing fertile ground for speculation. Skip to main content.

Lost story. Search form Search. You are here Home. Margaret Preston. Related Annie Dawbin. Daphne Mayo. Dorrit Black. Between andthe Prestons lived in the bush suburb of Berowra. While living in Berowra, the Prestons had two terrier dogs. Following their seven years in Berowra, the Prestons returned to Mosman, where they would stay until Margaret Preston's death on 28 May Among their homes during this period were the former home of actress Nellie Stewart and the Hotel Mosman.

Preston's later works built on the Aboriginal themes developed at Berowra, and her very last works had overtly religious themes, possibly in response to the Blake Prize instituted in A retrospective at the National Gallery of AustraliaMargaret Preston, Australian margaret preston brief biographyDecember to Aprilpresented some of the gallery's large collection of etchings, woodcuts, masonite cuts, monotypes and stencils by the artist.

Inseveral works by Preston were included by curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev in documenta 13Kassel, Germany. InGeelong Gallery presented an exhibition examining the influence of ukiyo-e on Cressida Campbell and Preston. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools.

Margaret preston brief biography

Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Australian artist — For the American poet and author, see Margaret Junkin Preston. Margaret Preston outside her home in Berowra Port Adelaide, South AustraliaAustralia. Mosman, New South WalesAustralia. Early life [ edit ]. Teaching [ edit ]. Art career [ edit ].

Traveling years —; [ edit ]. Early Mosman years — [ edit ]. Prints [ edit ]. Paintings [ edit ]. Berowra years — [ edit ]. Return to Mosman — [ edit ]. Collections and exhibitions [ edit ]. In popular culture [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. The Express and Telegraph. XI, no. South Australia. Retrieved 4 September — via National Library of Australia.

Retrieved Jan. Australian Government website. Australian Dictionary of Biography. AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April Archived from the original on 12 March Retrieved 11 March