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An image of Swings by Ethel Spowers

Ethel Spowers

(Australia 1890–1947)

Title
Swings
Year
1932
Media category
Print
Materials used
colour linocut, printed on thin ivory laid tissue
Edition
42/50
Dimensions

24.2 x 26.3cm image; 29.4 x 30.2cm sheet (irreg.)

Signature & date
Signed and dated l.r., pencil "E.L. Spowers. 1932".
Credit
Purchased 1976
Accession number
144.1976
Location
Not on display
Further information

Children were a favourite subject for Spowers, but her approach here reflects a new interest in being modern, following studies at the Grosvenor School in London under Claude Flight. She was encouraged to choose lively, contemporary subjects and create images in which the forms were simplified and abstracted. Colour was to be bright and 'flat' (unmodulated) in tones of equal value. On her return to Australia, she acted as Flight's agent – and with Dorrit Black and Eveline Syme, promoted his teachings and work through a number of exhibitions, mainly in Melbourne.

Bibliography (10)

'Colour, rhythm and design: Wood and lino cuts from a time of great creative vitality' by Helen Campbell, pg. 13-15., Look Feb 2010, Feb 2010, 14 (colour illus.), 15.

Helen Campbell (Australia) (Author), Colour, rhythm, design: wood & lino cuts of the 20s & 30s, Sydney, 2010, 13 (colour illus.).

Look Dec 2005-Jan 2006, Dec 2005-Jan 2006, 41 (colour illus.).

Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Modernism and Feminism Australian Women Artists 1900-1940, Sydney, 1996, 152 (colour illus.). Collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Daphne Wallace (Australia, b.1964) (Author), Margo Neale (Australia) (Author), Victoria Lynn (Australia) (Author), Sandra Byron (Australia) (Author), Review: works by women from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 1995. no catalogue numbers; not paginated

Stephen Coppel (Australia) (Author), Linocuts of the machine age: Claude Flight and the Grosvenor school, England, 1995, (colour illus.), 67, 173 (illus.). plate no. 41; cat.no. ES 22; NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression.

Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Modernism 1900-1950 - Prints and Drawings from the Collection, Sydney, 1994.

Anna Waldmann (Australia) (Author), Project 39 - Women's Imprint, Domain, 1982. no catalogue numbers; not paginated

Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), Chris Deutscher (Australia) (Author), A survey of Australian relief prints 1900/1950, Armadale, 1978, 86 (illus.). Edition 28/50; NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression.

Leonard Joel (Australia, estab. 1919) (Compilator), The Sunday fine art auction: Sunday 24 June 2012 Melbourne, South Yarra, 2012, flyleaf (colour illus.), 55. NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression.

Exhibition history (4)

Project 39 - Women's Imprint (1982), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 01 Oct 1982–31 Oct 1982.

Modernism 1900-1950 - Prints and Drawings from the Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 23 Jul 1994–25 Sep 1994.

Review - works by women from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 08 Mar 1995–04 Jun 1995.

Australian Collection Focus: Colour, Rhythm, Design - wood & lino cuts of the 20s & 30s, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 12 Mar 2010–11 Jul 2010.