Margaret Preston
(Australia, England, France 29 Apr 1875–28 May 1963)
- Title
- Implement blue
- Place of origin
-
Sydney →
New South Wales →
Australia
- Year
- 1927
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas on hardboard
- Dimensions
-
42.5 x 43.0cm board; 54.3 x 55.0 x 6.0cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.r. corner, blue oil "M.PRESTON/ 27".
- Credit
- Gift of the artist 1960
- Accession number
- OA7.1960
- Copyright
- © Margaret Rose Preston Estate
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
She feels that this is a mechanical age – a scientific one – highly civilised and unaesthetic. She knows that the time has come to express her surroundings in her work. All around her in the simple domestic life is machinery – patent ice-chests that need no ice, machinery does it; irons heated by invisible heat; washing up machines; electric sweepers, and so on. They all surround her and influence her mind …
Margaret Preston, 1927
'Implement blue' is one of Margaret Preston’s most innovative works, embodying the values of progressive, modern living. Its restricted palette and strict analysis of form exemplify Preston’s quest to isolate and resolve pictorial problems
within the still-life genre. The domestic vessels have been renamed ‘implements’ and reduced to essential forms.- Bibliography (56)
-
'New Australia' by Wayne Tunnicliffe and Deborah Edwards, pg. 24-27., Look May 2012, May 2012, 25.
'Breaking the territorial mould: some thoughts from a new head curator' by Jill Sykes, pg. 30-31., Look Sep 2011, Sep 2011, 30 (colour illus.).
'Art and Australia: More views of European preludes and parallels' by Jackie de Diana, pg. 16-17., Look Nov 2010, Nov 2010, 12 (colour illus.).
Sue Cramer (Author), Lesley Harding (Australia) (Author), Cubism & Australian art, Carlton, 2009, 29 (colour illus.).
Ann Stephen (Australia) (Author), Andrew McNamara (Australia) (Author), Philip Goad (Australia) (Author), Modern times: the untold story of modernism in Australia, Sydney, 2008, xxiv (colour illus.), xxv.
Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 92 (colour illus.).
'Defining modernism in Australia' by Ann Stephen, Philip Goad and Andrew McNamara, pg. 56-57., Art and Australia (Vol. 46, No. 1) 2008, 2008, 57.
Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), The formalesque: a guide to modern art and its history, South Yarra, 2007, 92 (colour illus.).
'The artist as neuroscientist' by Patrick Cavanagh, pg. 301-307., Nature 17 Mar 2005, 17 Mar 2005, 304 (colour illus.).
'Portrait of a lady' by Georgina Pemberton, pg. 128-129., H&H: Hoofs & horns Autumn 2005, Autumn 2005, 128, 129 (colour illus.).
Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Editor), Grace Cossington Smith, Canberra, 2005, 36, 103.
Rosemary Lloyd (United States of America, active 2005) (Author), Shimmering in a transformed light: writing the still life, Ithaca, 2005, front cover (illus.), 5, 128 (illus.), 129. figure no. 14
Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Sarah Engledow (Australia) (Author), Barry Humphries (Australia, b.1934) (Author), The world of Thea Proctor, Canberra, 2005, 50.
Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), The prints of Margaret Preston: a catalogue raisonné, Canberra, 2005, 23, 198 (colour illus.).
Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Margaret Preston, Sydney, 2005, 54, 108, 118, 120-121, 122, 124, 128, 123 (colour illus.), 6 (colour illus., detail),.
Margaret Preston: Catalogue raisonné of paintings, monotypes and ceramics 2005, 2005, (colour illus.). Artworks: paintings 1927.
'Margaret Rose Preston', pg. 547-563., The complete book of great Australian women: thirty-six women who changed the course of Australia 2003, 2003, 556.
In our own image: the story of Australian art 2002, 2002, 101 (colour illus.).
Katrina Cashman (Australia) (Author), Margaret Preston in Mosman, Mosman, 2002, (colour illus.). no catalogue numbers; not paginated
Terry Smith (Author), Transformations in Australian art: The twentieth century - Modernism and Aboriginality [Volume Two], St Leonards, 2002, 48, 49,50, 53 (illus.), 54, 55, 56, 64, 65, 66.
'Objects in the mirror: gendering the still life' by Rosemary Lloyd, pg. 39-55., Yearbook of comparative and general literature [Vol. 49, 2001] 2002, 2002, 47, 54 (illus.).
Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Australian art, Oxford, 2001, 120 (colour illus., detail), 127 (colour illus.). plate no. 70
'Margaret Presont (1875-1963), Artist', pg. 106., S.A.'s greats: the men and women of the North Terrace plaques 2001, 2001, 106.
Modern Australian women: paintings and prints 1925-1945 2000, 2000, (colour illus.). not paginated; 6-page fold-out brochure accompanying the exhibition
Chris Deutscher (Australia) (Author), Australian modern masters and 19th & 20th century Australian and International Fine Art: Fine Art auction 3 & 4 May 2000, Melbourne, 2000, 98. reference to work in association with lot 61 'Australian gum blossom' painted in 1929; colour illus. of lot 61 on pg. 99
Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Peter Pinson (Australia, b.1943) (Author), Gavin Fry (Author), Sasha Grishin AM (Australia) (Author), Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), Australian painters of the twentieth century, Roseville, 2000, 23 (colour illus.).
Jane Hylton (b.1950) (Author), Modern Australian women: paintings & prints 1925-1945, Adelaide, 2000, 22, 23 (colour illus.), 67, 125.
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 118 (colour illus.), 301.
Aspects of Australian art 2000, 2000, (colour illus.). card no. 5: Margaret Preston 'Implement blue' 1927
Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 138 (colour illus.).
Drusilla Modjeska (Author), Stravinsky's lunch, Sydney, 1999, 264, 265 (illus.).
Juliana Engberg (Australia) (Curator), The Real Thing, Australia, 1997, 26 (colour illus.), 88.
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Modernism and Feminism Australian Women Artists 1900-1940, Sydney, 1996, 58 (illus.). Illustration 14
In our own image: the story of Australian art 1995, 1995, 106 (colour illus.).
Author Unknown (Author), South Australian Women Artists: 1890s - 1940s, Apr 1994, 13 (colour illus.), 74 (illus.). fig. 13; cat. no. 68
Jeanette Hoorn (Editor), Strange women: essays in art and gender, Melbourne, 1994, 36-37, 38 (colour illus.).
Alison Broinowski (Australia, b.1941) (Author), The yellow lady: Australian impressions of Asia, Australia, 1992, 55, 55 (illus.).
Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Terry Smith (Author), Australian painting 1788-1990, South Melbourne, 1991, 208 (colour illus.). cat.no. 117
Mary Eagle (Australia, b.1944) (Author), Australian Modern Painting Between the Wars 1914-1939, Sydney, 1989, 81, 83 (colour illus.), 84. plate no. 59
Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 24 (illus.).
Ursula Prunster (Australia) (Author), Seeing is believing: the art in photography, Sydney, 1985, colour illus.. cat.no. 37; not paginated
Elizabeth Butel (Author), Nicholas Draffin (Australia, b.1943, d.1995) (Researcher), Margaret Preston: the art of constant rearrangement, Ringwood, 1985, 38 (colour illus.), 85. cat.no. O.7
'About the house: the domestic theme in Australian art' by Gary Catalano, Art and Australia (Vol. 21, No. 1) Spring 1983, Spring 1983, (illus.). not paginated
Art Gallery of South Australia (Australia, estab. 1881) (Author), Visions after light: Art in South Australia 1836-1981, Adelaide, 1981. cat.no. 138; not paginated
Ian North (New Zealand; Australia, b.1945) (Author), The art of Margaret Preston, South Australia, 1980, 21 (colour illus.), 47 (illus.). cat.no. O.19
'An enemy of dull' by Humphrey McQueen, pg. 34-39., Hemisphere [vol. 20, no. 8] 1976, 1976, 34 (colour illus.).
'Art Deco in Australia' by Daniel Thomas, pg. 338-350., Art and Australia [vol. 9, no. 4] Mar 1972, Mar 1972, 350 (illus.).
Laurie Thomas (Australia, b.1915, d.1974) (Editor), 200 Years of Australian painting, Rushcutters Bay, 1971, 46, 47 (colour illus.).
Robert Hughes (Australia; United States of America, b.1938, d.2012) (Author), The art of Australia, Ringwood, 1970, 123 (illus.). cat.no. 46
'Acquisitions for 1960', pg. 58-67., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Apr 1961, Apr 1961, 65 (illus.).
1960 Acquisitions 1960, 1960, 24. cat.no. 31
National Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Margaret Preston and William Dobell loan exhibition, Sydney, 1942, 9. cat.no. 34
'Contemporary painters' show has originality' by William Moore, pg. 13, Daily telegraph 01 Dec 1929, 01 Dec 1929, 13.
The Burdekin House Exhibition, Sydney, 1929. not paginated
Art Society of Tasmania (Australia, estab. 1884) (Author), 44th Annual Exhibition of pictures, Hobart, 1928. cat.no. 139; not paginated; priced at 20 guineas
Art in Australia [series 3, no. 22] Dec 1927, Dec 1927, front cover (colour illus.). Margaret Preston number.
- Exhibition history (14)
-
The Burdekin House exhibition: in aid of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Burdekin House, 08 Oct 1929–21 Dec 1929.
Purchases and Acquisitions for 1960, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Mar 1961–23 Apr 1961.
Seeing is believing - the art in photography, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 Dec 1985–19 Jan 1986.
South Australian Women Artists: 1890s - 1940s, Art Gallery of South Australia, 15 Apr 1994–17 Jul 1994.
The Real Thing, Museum of Modern Art at Heide, 08 Dec 1997–22 Feb 1998.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Modern Australian women: paintings and prints, Art Gallery of South Australia, 24 Nov 2000–21 Feb 2001.
Favourites: Margaret Olley and Jeffrey Smart (2002), S.H. Ervin Gallery, 12 Jan 2002–24 Feb 2002.
Margaret Preston in Mosman, Mosman Art Gallery, 07 Sep 2002–13 Oct 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.
Modern Times, Powerhouse Museum, 01 Aug 2008–08 Feb 2009.
Modern Times, Heide Museum of Modern Art, 23 Mar 2009–12 Jul 2009.
Modern Times, State Library of Queensland, 31 Jul 2009–08 Nov 2009.
