Ethel Spowers

(Australia 1890–1947)

Title

Swings

Year

1932

Media category

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 (11)

Craig Brush, Look May 2013, ‘The new city explored: Learning Curve lecture series shows the way’, pg. 46, Newtown, May 2013, 46 (colour illus.).

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

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

Helen Campbell, Colour, rhythm, design: wood & lino cuts of the 20s & 30s 2010, 'Introduction', pg. 2, Sydney, 2010, 13 (colour illus.).

Stephen Coppel, Linocuts of the machine age: Claude Flight and the Grosvenor school, 'The Australians: Dorrit Black, Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme', pg. 65-68, England, 1995, (colour illus.), 67, 173 (illus.). plate no. 41; cat.no. ES 22; NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression.

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

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

Leonard Joel (Compilator), The Sunday fine art auction: Sunday 24 June 2012 Melbourne, Catalogue entry for Lot 208 Ethel Spowers 'Swings', pg. 55, South Yarra, 2012, flyleaf (colour illus.), 55. NOTE: this is not the AGNSW impression.

Jill Sykes (Editor), Look Dec 2005-Jan 2006, Newtown, Dec 2005-Jan 2006, 41 (colour illus.).

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

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

Exhibition history (4)

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

Modernism 1900-1950 - Prints and Drawings from the Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 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, Sydney, 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, Sydney, 12 Mar 2010–11 Jul 2010