Art

I studied Level One Art for my Higher School Certificate in Canberra in 1968, and I was fortunate in having two inspirational teachers – Colleen Hinder (the niece by marriage of the sculptor, Frank Hinder) and Nigel Murray-Harvey.

As well as doing a practical work, we studied two units of art history. The periods that we did were Ancient Art (mainly Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Classical Greek and Roman – but not any Chinese, Indian, Islamic or other cultures), and Modern Art. In retrospect, our Modern Art course seems remarkably progressive, considering that it was the 1960s. We were introduced to the American moderns, some of whom had  painted their works as recently as the 1950s. I found them tremendously exciting. My favourites were Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb.

My favourite Australian artists, I have decided, are Sidney Nolan, Fred Williams, John Olsen and Philip Hunter (not necessarily in that order). You will find some examples of their work, and the works of others that I like, along with comments about galleries and exhibitions I have been to, in this section.