I didn’t know I needed female heroes until I found some.
These days I live in the bush. The city is a place I visit for my son’s medical appointments.
I am usually to exhausted or hurried for anything fun on these city trips. The visit I did make to the Queensland Art Gallery (QAGOMA) was a sweaty charge from my Annerley Road accommodation to Southbank one afternoon
Wondering if I was wasting my time I skipped in 30 minutes before the gallery closed.
There was some art that really didn’t turn me on but OOOhhh there was some that did.
I think I may have amused a lot of the watchful security people with my enthusiasm as I floated around getting as close as I dared to the artworks. Investigating thoroughly without actually letting my nose touch the paintings.
What really turned up the voltage on my smile was the moment that I discovered a tiny (and quite dull) Arthur Streeton. Now you have to understand that Streeton has been my hero since I discovered a book of his work as official war artist in 1918. Books have been my education. The source I use to inform my view of life. The only woman I found in art books was Mary Cassatt, her style is rather formal and romantic.
So in fact my smile wasn’t because I loved the Streeton. It was because my eye was drawn to a small beach scene – so lively and colourful. It had much more impact for me than the Streeton painting. My smile was because it was painted by A WOMAN! WOW – mind blown! Then round the corner a painting of a scene so mundane yet so typical – Monday morning washing Day! Vida Lahey’s paintings were so well done, stories that just made sense to me. The kind of stories I want to tell.
LAHEY, Vida – Monday morning 1912
In the next room – a painting that stood out for me amongst its rather pretentious neighbors – Banana Cutters – an early Margaret Olley – I had only ever known her still life paintings.
OLLEY, Margaret – Banana cutters 1963
Wander a little further and a beautiful warm painting of a woman holding her horse on the hill with her dog at her feet. Another Woman artist! Hilda Rix Nichols.
RIX NICHOLAS, Hilda – The fair musterer 1935
Something about the idea that these incredible women painters had been there all along gave me a boost. Credit goes to the QAGOMA for making sure this work is on display. I want to be an incredible woman painter and the knowledge that these chicks have already paved the way ( as early as 1912) is inspiring.
To see the artworks in the QAGOMA collection click the links below.
https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/lahey-vida
https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/rix-nicholas-hilda
https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/olley-margaret