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Collection

An image of Construction in green by Ralph Balson

Ralph Balson

(Australia 12 Aug 1890–1964)

Title
Construction in green
Year
1942
Media category
Painting
Materials used
oil on paperboard
Dimensions

85.7 x 109.9cm board; 87.5 x 112.4 x 3.1cm frame

Signature & date
Signed and dated l.r. corner, yellow oil "R-BALSON -/42".
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by an anonymous purchase fund for contemporary Australian art 1970
Accession number
OA14.1970
Copyright
© Ralph Balson Estate
Location
Not on display
Further information

In the early 1940s, Ralph Balson moved towards complete abstraction, referring to his new flat, geometric compositions as ‘constructive paintings’. His 1941 show at Anthony Hordern’s gallery in Sydney has been acclaimed as the first entirely non-figurative solo exhibition in Australia. Balson continued painting in this vein for the next 15 years.

Around 1950, Balson simplified his forms further towards rectilinear shapes, echoing the abstractions of Piet Mondrian. Later in the decade he moved to a softer colour palette and clearly visible brushstrokes. His colleague Grace Crowley shifted similarly towards geometric abstraction, preserving a more vivid use of primary colours and dynamic movement across the picture space.

Bibliography (10)

Grace Crowley's contribution to Australian modernism and geometric abstraction, 'Partnership in abstraction', pg. 105-130, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2010, 114, 115 (illus.). figure 5.3

Daniel Thomas, Gallery A Sydney 1964 - 1983 2009, 'Ralph Balson and Gallery A', pg. 103-115, Campbelltown, 2009, 105 (colour illus.), 110, 112.

Elena Taylor, Symposium papers: Colour in art - revisiting 1919 & R-Balson 2008, 'Crowley-Balson: Collaboration in abstraction', pg. 37-39, Paddington, 2008, 37, 38.

Nicholas Chambers, Art and Australia (Vol. 40, No. 2) Dec 2002-Feb 2003, 'Ralph Balson: "Painting". Abstracting the invisible', pg. 250-251, St Leonards, Dec 2002-Feb 2003, 250.

Natalie Wilson, Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection 2002, 'Grace Crowley / Ralph Balson / Frank Hinder / Margel Hinder', pg. 88-103, Domain, 2002, 94, 95 (colour illus.), 142, 147.

Deborah Edwards, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Moderns', pg. 103-104, Domain, 2000, 104, 128 (colour illus.), 300.

Bruce Adams, Ralph Balson A Retrospective Jul 1989, Bulleen, Jul 1989, 24, 26 (colour illus.), 76. cat.no. 12

Paul McGillick, Aspect: Art and Literature Winter 1981, 'The importance of Ralph Balson', pg. 4-17, Mona Vale, Winter 1981, 14 (illus.), 15.

Hal Missingham (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Jul 1971, Sydney, Jul 1971, 606, 616, 617 (illus.). Special Gifts

Jill Sykes, Look Sep 2011, 'Small and temporary: but it's a big pointer to the future', pg. 28-29, Newtown, Sep 2011, front cover (colour illus., detail), 9 (colour illus.), 28.

Exhibition history (3)

Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (1942), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], Sydney, 02 Sep 1942–24 Sep 1942

Ralph Balson: a retrospective:

Parallel Visions: Twenty-two artists from the Australian collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22 Feb 2002–May 2003