Margaret Preston

(Australia, England, France 29 Apr 1875–28 May 1963)

Title

I lived at Berowra

Other titles:

Berowra

Place of origin

Sydney → New South Wales → Australia

Year

1941

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

46.4 x 39.7cm stretcher; 56.5 x 56.4 x 8.0cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.l., pencil "M". Signed and dated bot.c., pencil "M. Preston 1941".

Credit

Purchased 1941

Accession number

7177

Copyright

Location

Not on display

Further information

In 1936, Margaret Preston moved with her husband to a new home at Berowra to live in a house surrounded by bushland a couple of kilometres from the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. 'I lived at Berowra' is among a number of works, including 'The brown pot' and 'Grey day in the ranges' that were painted within a three year period. They are characterized by a simplification of form, flattened perspectives and a reduced palette of earth-toned colours reminiscent of natural ochres found in the landscape, a visual expression of Preston's increasing interest in Aboriginal art.

Bibliography (26)

Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (Curator), dOCUMENTA (13): the book of books, Ostfildern, 2012, 712.

Zeny Edwards (Author), Yin-yang : China in Australia, Sydney, 2008, 54.

'Margaret Preston' by Denise Mimmocchi and Deborah Edwards, pg. 100-107., Art and Australia (Vol. 43, No. 1) Sep 2005-Nov 2005, Sep 2005-Nov 2005, 107.

'Portrait of a lady' by Georgina Pemberton, pg. 128-129., H&H: Hoofs & horns Autumn 2005, Autumn 2005, 128, 129 (colour illus.).

Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), The prints of Margaret Preston: a catalogue raisonné, Canberra, 2005, 27.

Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Margaret Preston, Sydney, 2005, 188, 189 (colour illus.), 190, 202, 240, 284.

Margaret Preston: Catalogue raisonné of paintings, monotypes and ceramics 2005, 2005, (colour illus.). Artworks: paintings 1941.

'Margaret Preston: reviewing the landscape' by Deborah Edwards, pg. 19-23., Art Monthly Australia Dec 2002-Feb 2003, Dec 2002-Feb 2003, 19 (colour illus.), 20-21.

Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Hetti Perkins (Australia) (Author), Rose Peel (Australia) (Author), Australian Collection Focus: Margaret Preston The brown pot 1940, I lived at Berowra 1941, Grey day in the ranges 1942, Sydney, 2002, front cover (colour illus., detail), 4, 5 (colour illus.), 7-9, 13, 15-16.

'Year in review', pg. 8-25., Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2002 2002, 2002, 15.

'Preston's Aboriginal inspiration: how Margaret Preston was influenced by Aboriginal art', pg. 16-17., Look Sep 2001, Sep 2001, 17.

'Forthcoming Australian features' by Barry Pearce and Deborah Edwards, pg. 24., Look Apr 2001, Apr 2001, front cover (colour illus.), 7 (colour illus.), 24 (colour illus.).

'Sydney Sub-urb', pg. 1., Events March-May 2000 Mar 2000-May 2000, Mar 2000-May 2000, 1 (illus.). in 'Exhibitions' section

Peter Emmett (Author), Sydney: metropolis, suburb, harbour, Glebe, 2000, 99, 100 (colour illus.).

Nicholas Thomas (Australia) (Author), Possessions: indigenous art / colonial culture, London, 1999, 39.

Elizabeth Butel (Author), Nicholas Draffin (Australia, b.1943, d.1995) (Researcher), Margaret Preston: the art of constant rearrangement, Ringwood, 1985, 57 (colour illus.), 86. cat.no. O.15

Ian North (New Zealand; Australia, b.1945) (Author), The art of Margaret Preston, South Australia, 1980, 11, 50 (illus.). cat.no. O.35

Humphrey McQueen (Author), The black swan of trespass: the emergence of Modernist painting in Australia to 1944, Sydney, 1979, (illus.). plate no. 26

Dennis Colsey (Australia) (Author), Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), One hundred years of Australian landscape painting: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1968, Sydney, 1968, 18, 19 (illus.). cat.no. 20

National Council of Women (Australia), An exhibition of women's achievements in the arts, New South Wales, 1960. cat.no. 31; Kindly lent by the AGNSW

Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Domain, 1953. cat.no. 151

National Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Margaret Preston and William Dobell loan exhibition, Sydney, 1942. cat.no. 46

The Home annual: Australian life and scenery 15 Oct 1941, 15 Oct 1941, 28 (colour illus.). titled 'Berowra'

'An exhibition pre-view: Artists assist red cross', pg. 6., Daily telegraph and daily news 05 Sep 1941, 05 Sep 1941, 6. Review of the Society of Artists Exhibition, 1941.

Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994), Contemporary Australian painting from the National Collection, Sydney, circa 1946, 2 (illus.), 11. cat.no. 16

New South Wales Society of Artists (Australia, estab. 1895, closed 1960s) (Author), Society of Artists Annual Exhibition, Sydney, 1941. cat.no. 4; Room One; titled 'I lived at Berowra'; price: 12 Gns.

Exhibition history (16)

Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (1941), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], 05 Sep 1941–25 Sep 1941.

Margaret Preston and William Dobell loan exhibition (1942), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Mar 1942–16 Apr 1942.

Contemporary Australian painting from the National collection, Exhibition Venue Unknown, 1946–1950.

A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 25 Sep 1953–25 Oct 1953.

Women's achievements in the arts, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, 31 Aug 1960–09 Sep 1960.

Women's achievements in the arts, Tamworth City Gallery, Oct 1961–Jan 1962.

Women's achievements in the arts, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, Apr 1964 -.

One hundred years of Australian landscape painting: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1968, Various, 1968–1969.

The art of Margaret Preston, Art Gallery of South Australia, 23 May 1980–22 Jul 1980.

Suburb, Museum of Sydney, 15 Apr 2000–23 Jul 2000.

Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.

Australian Collection Focus: Margaret Preston The brown pot 1940, I lived at Berowra 1941, Grey day in the ranges 1942, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 29 Sep 2001–03 Feb 2002.

Margaret Preston retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 29 Jul 2005–23 Oct 2005.

Margaret Preston retrospective, Queensland Art Gallery, 18 Feb 2006–07 May 2006.

Yin-Yang: China in Australia, S.H. Ervin Gallery, 08 Aug 2008–28 Sep 2008.

dOCUMENTA (13), Documenta, 09 Jun 2012–16 Sep 2012.