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Subtle and wide-ranging in its account, this study explores the
impact of Australian art in Britain in the two decades following
the end of World War II and preceding the 'Swinging Sixties'. In a
transitional period of decolonization in Britain, Australian
painting was briefly seized upon as a dynamic and reinvigorating
force in contemporary art, and a group of Australian artists
settled in London where they held centre stage with group and solo
exhibitions in the capital's most prestigious galleries. The book
traces the key influences of Sir Kenneth Clark, Bernard Smith and
Bryan Robertson in their various (and varying) roles as patrons,
ideologues, and entrepreneurs for Australian art, as well as the
self-definition and interaction of the artists themselves. Simon
Pierse interweaves multiple issues of the period into a cohesive
historical narrative, including the mechanics of the British art
world, the limited and frustrating cultural scene of 1950s
Australia, and the conservative influence of Australian government
bodies. Publishing for the first time archival material, letters,
and photographs previously unavailable to scholars either in
Britain or Australia, this book demonstrates how the work of
expatriate Australian artists living in London constructed a
distinct vision of Australian identity for a foreign market.
Subtle and wide-ranging in its account, this study explores the
impact of Australian art in Britain in the two decades following
the end of World War II and preceding the 'Swinging Sixties'. In a
transitional period of decolonization in Britain, Australian
painting was briefly seized upon as a dynamic and reinvigorating
force in contemporary art, and a group of Australian artists
settled in London where they held centre stage with group and solo
exhibitions in the capital's most prestigious galleries. The book
traces the key influences of Sir Kenneth Clark, Bernard Smith and
Bryan Robertson in their various (and varying) roles as patrons,
ideologues, and entrepreneurs for Australian art, as well as the
self-definition and interaction of the artists themselves. Simon
Pierse interweaves multiple issues of the period into a cohesive
historical narrative, including the mechanics of the British art
world, the limited and frustrating cultural scene of 1950s
Australia, and the conservative influence of Australian government
bodies. Publishing for the first time archival material, letters,
and photographs previously unavailable to scholars either in
Britain or Australia, this book demonstrates how the work of
expatriate Australian artists living in London constructed a
distinct vision of Australian identity for a foreign market.
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