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Lot #39 - Dick Watkins

  • Auction House:
    Mossgreen
  • Sale Name:
    Important Art
  • Sale Date:
    20 Nov 2017 ~ 6.30pm
  • Lot #:
    39
  • Lot Description:
    Dick Watkins
    (born 1937)
    Landscape, Bonnard’s Hat, circa 1961-1963
    oil on canvas
    152 x 125 cm
  • Provenance:
    Private collection, Sydney
  • Exhibited:
    Royal Easter Show Art Competition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, April 1962 (as Landscape)
  • Notes:
    Known for his constantly changing oeuvre, Watkins’s paintings embrace conflicting styles and pursuit of colour. In the words of Brian Finemore, ‘Dick Watkins continues to be the chameleon, with unparalleled skill.’1 Watkins’ early works question the validity of abstract painting due to its expressive limitations while simultaneously using the aesthetic of abstraction as language itself. Chris Chapman curator, writer and lecturer at Australian National University noted how: ‘The interesting thing about Watkins’s work is that he has a sophisticated understanding of the realist tradition of landscape and figurative art. And uniquely, has also developed an entirely original approach to abstraction which challenges the conventional understandings of abstract art.’2 In the early 1960s, Clement Greenburg singled out Dick Watkins as the best artist Australia had to offer. Aligning him with the great masters of Anglo-Australian art such as Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, and John Olsen. As colour painting crept onto the Australian art scene during the early 1960s, Watkins was one of the leading artists who embraced this new style. Landscape, Bonnard’s Hat is a great example of Watkins’ development during an important period in both his experimentation with colour and form and of Australian Art History. Watkins opened doors for the younger generations of Australian artists through his practice and ideology surrounding colour, originality and composition. Kathryn Halliday 1 Imants Tillers, DICK WATKINS “STYLE MASTER” BY IMANTS TILLERS, Institute of Modern Art, 1984. 2 Carrie Lumby, Dick Watkins: An artist’s artist, Art Collector Issue 31, January-March 2005.
  • Estimate:
    A$7,000 - 10,000
  • Realised Price:
    *****

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  • Category:
    Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.



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