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Collection

Peter Kingston

(Australia 08 May 1943– )

Title
Australia -v- England chess set
Year
1976-1978
reworked 1981
reworked 1985
reworked 2008
Media category
Sculpture
Materials used
carved wood table with 34 wooden chess pieces, synthetic polymer paint on carved Oregon wood
Dimensions

93.0 x 101.7 x 101.5cm overall dimensions:

a - Luna Park chess table; 54.8 x 101.7 x 101.5cm

b - Luna Park chess table: Drawer A; 10.5 x 65.7 x 44cm

c - Luna Park chess table: Drawer B; 10.9 x 65.7 x 43.8cm

d - AUSTRALIA - ROOK 1: Lamington (1); 7.8 x 7.8 x 7.6cm

e - AUSTRALIA KNIGHT: Slim Dusty; 20.5 x 8 x 5.9cm

f - AUSTRALIA - BISHOP: Joan Sutherland; 22.7 x 11.4 x 6.4cm

g - AUSTRALIA - QUEEN: Dame Edna Everage; 30 x 5.5 x 6.4cm

h - AUSTRALIA - QUEEN: Kim [from Kath and Kim]; 24 x 6.3 x 5.6cm

i - AUSTRALIA - KING: Norman Gunston; 25.4 x 7.5 x 5.5cm

j - AUSTRALIA - BISHOP: David Gulpilil; 22.6 x 7.8 x 5.6cm

k - AUSTRALIA - KNIGHT: Ned Kelly; 7.6 x 7.7 x 5.6cm

l - AUSTRALIA - ROOK: Lamington [2]; 7.8 x 7.6 x 8cm

m - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Minnie Peters [Ginger Megg's gir; 10.5 x 7.7 x 5.5cm

n - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Blinky Bill; 10.2 x 8.1 x 5.6cm

o - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Nutsy [from Blinky Bill]; 10.3 x 7.8 x 5.7cm

p - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Ginger Meggs; 9.9 x 7.8 x 5.6cm

q - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Walter Wombat [from Blinky Bill]; 11.1 x 7.9 x 5.6cm

r - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Splodge [from Blinky Bill]; 11.5 x 7.6 x 6cm

s - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie; 10.2 x 8.1 x 5.6cm

t - AUSTRALIA - PAWN: Mrs Magpie [from Blinky Bill]; 10.3 x 7.8 x 5.6cm

u - ENGLAND - ROOKE: Castle [1]; 12.5 x 10.2 x 5.7cm

v - ENGLAND - KNIGHT: Prince Andrew; 20.1 x 9.8 x 6cm

w - ENGLAND - BISHOP: Princess Diana and Prince Charle; 13.8 x 10.4 x 5.8cm

x - ENGLAND - QUEEN: Queen Elizabeth II; 16.1 x 13 x 5.6cm

y - ENGLAND - KING: Prince Philip; 17.3 x 9.5 x 5.7cm

z - ENGLAND -BISHOP: Camilla Parker Bowles; 15.6 x 8.7 x 5.9cm

aa - ENGLAND -BISHOP: Queen mother; 12.5 x 7 x 5.8cm

bb - ENGLAND - KNIGHT: Princess Anne; 20.3 x 8.2 x 5.9cm

cc - ENGLAND - ROOK: Castle [2]; 12.5 x 10.2 x 5.6cm

dd - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [1]; 11 x 7.8 x 5.5cm

ee - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [2]; 11.5 x 7.8 x 5.7cm

ff - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [3]; 11 x 7.9 x 5.5cm

gg - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [4]; 11.1 x 7.8 x 5.6cm

hh - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [5]; 10.9 x 8 x 5.7cm

ii - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [6]; 11 x 7.6 x 5.7cm

jj - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [7]; 11.1 x 7.7 x 5.8cm

kk - ENGLAND - PAWN: Corgi [8]; 11 x 7.4 x 5.7cm

ll - Perspex lid; 39.8 x 83.2 x 83.2cm

mm - Drawer A: cover; 61.1 x 36 x 0.6cm

nn - Drawer B: cover; 61.4 x 36.1 x 0.6cm

Signature & date
Signed and dated right side of base, black synthetic polymer paint "Peter Kingston 30 9 78". Signed and dated c. verso on part h, black fibre-tipped pen "'08/ Peter/ Kingston".
Credit
Gift of the artist 2007
Accession number
357.2007.a-nn
Copyright
© Peter Kingston
Location
Not on display
Further information

"The chess set evolved from conversations with friends ... all the pieces are popular characters I admire. I didn't set out to make a joke of the Royal Family, but they are ideal humorous figures".
Peter Kingston, 1981

Created between 1976 and 1978, then revised and updated in 1981 to commemorate the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 'England -v- Australia chess set' features a menagerie of characters representing the Colonial and the colonized. Cuddlepie and the corgi, the Queen Mother and the Opera Diva Dame Joan, each figure is carved meticulously from Oregon and lovingly hand painted in enamel.

The pieces cavort across a table flanked on four sides by the laughing, benevolent face which graces Sydney's Luna Park.

Throughout the ensuing decades, Kingston has continued to produce chess sets, creating 'New York chess set' and 'Art lovers chess set' in the 1980s, and more recently, in a tribute to his beloved funfair, he produced 'Luna Park chess set' in 1995.

Bibliography (4)

Jill Bowen, The Australian women's weekly 07 Jun 1978, 'Anyone for chess with Corgi and Bess?', pg. 46-47, Sydney, 07 Jun 1978, 46-47 (colour illus.).

Kate Crawford, The Mosman daily: incorporating North Sydney 02 Dec 2004, 'Spotlight on Kingston art', pg. 27, Parramatta, 02 Dec 2004, 27.

Gavin Wilson, Harbourlights: the art and times of Peter Kingston, Victoria, 2004, (colour illus.).

Natalie Wilson., Notes from the river caves: Peter Kingston and Martin Sharp 2006, 'Notes from the River Caves: Peter Kingston and Martin Sharp', Sydney, 2006, (colour illus.). Website catalogue for the 'Notes from the River Caves: Peter Kingston and Martin Sharp' exhibition held at the AGNSW in 2006.

Exhibition history (4)

Peter Kingston (1978), Hogarth Galleries, Australia, 30 Sep 1978 -

Peter Kingston (1993), Australian Galleries, Sydney, Paddington, 24 May 1993–19 Jun 1993

Peter Kingston: a survey:

Australian Collection Focus: Notes from the River Caves: Peter Kingston & Martin Sharp, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 20 Sep 2006–19 Nov 2006