Biography
Contributions and Legacy
"Inspired by the art deco designs and vivid colours of the David Jones department store cafe in Sydney, 'The Lacquer Room' embodies the modern inter-war urban experience. The rich red and scattered patterns of the chairs are contrasted with the gleaming green of the lacquered tables, set against the brightness of the walls and polished floors. Grace Cossington Smith’s bold approach to colour exudes a sense of celebrating the new, similar to the contemporary consumer culture epitomised by the department store."
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/OA10.1967/
- Born 20 April 1892 in Neutral Bay, Sydney
- Second child of well-off English immigrants
- Her family believed in education and the arts, and their financial security allowed her to pursue art
- Went to Abbotsleigh from 1905-09
- Taught by Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo at the Royal Art Society of New South Wales, who closely followed European art and bestowed a passion for modernism and post-impressionism on a generation of Australian artists
- Became influenced by Gauguin, van Gogh and especially Cezanne when she painted landscapes
- Subjects ranged from city life, interiors and still lifes, public events and landscapes
- Went to England from 1912-14 and returned with a lot of experience and knowledge
- Post-impressionist influence reached Australia, "The Sock Knitter" (1915) became the first truly moderist work displayed in Australia and her first exhibited painting
- "The Bridge in Curve"(1930) is her most famous work, depicting an icon of modernism and Australia
Contributions and Legacy
- Remained private throughout her life and did on comment on politics or social issues, but influenced society through her pioneering art style
- Fellow Australian modernist painters such as Roland Wakelin and Roy de Maistre admired her work, and they were an associated generation of modern artists
- Captured the growing city in the late 20's, including urban landscapes and a series on the construction of the Harbour Bridge
- Sent her artwork to various annual exhibitions, and her first solo exhibition was in 1928 at the Grosvenor Galleries, then every three or four years at the Macquarie Galleries from 1932-71
- Included in large museum surveys such as "150 Years of Australian Art" (Sydney 1938) and "Art of Australia, 1788-1941" that toured North America
- She was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1973 and an officer of the Order of Australia in 1983 for her contributions to Australian art
"Inspired by the art deco designs and vivid colours of the David Jones department store cafe in Sydney, 'The Lacquer Room' embodies the modern inter-war urban experience. The rich red and scattered patterns of the chairs are contrasted with the gleaming green of the lacquered tables, set against the brightness of the walls and polished floors. Grace Cossington Smith’s bold approach to colour exudes a sense of celebrating the new, similar to the contemporary consumer culture epitomised by the department store."
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/OA10.1967/