Australia is a beautiful country for many reasons. Millions of people come to visit this country every single year because of beautiful beaches, decent climate, beautiful buildings, etc. Of course, there is also a certain group of people that would stay here forever because of those reasons as well as a lot of work opportunities.
Anyway, if you have never been to Australia, then we are pretty sure you will like the art of this country. Without any doubt, if you are a big art lover, visiting a museum of old and new is something you should do. If you have never heard about this museum, then we recommend you check out carlkruse.net after reading this article and get familiar with all the things you can see there.
However, exploring art in this country will not be interesting if you do not research some interesting facts about it before that. That is the reason why we decided to write the list of most popular Australian artists of all time. There are some interesting individuals that people will probably talk about forever. Let’s find them out together!
Grace Cossington Smith
We are sure that younger generations around the world probably haven’t heard about Grace Cossington Smith. She was an incredible trailblazer that lived between 1892 and 1984. Of all the work she has done, the painting from 1915 known under the name The Sock Knitter is one of those that deserve your attention. It is the first Modernist work from this country, and that is the main reason why many artists are impressed by it. It is good to mention that this was some sort of response to the European Post-Impressionism that was extremely dominating during that period.
Speaking of some other paintings, they were all focused on the everyday life of Sydney in the 20th century. You will manage to find a lot of dazzling portrayals of domestic life in her “portfolio”. If you want to find out more about her Australia and families that lived between 1900 and 1980, then checking out her work would certainly be a smart decision.
Brett Whiteley
Do you love the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh? If the answer is “yes”, then you will definitely like the work of Brett Whiteley as well. He lived between 1939 and 1992, and his main role model was one of the most popular artists of all time.
Whiteley’s style of painting is a bit specific for many people. You will see that Vietnam War, alcohol, and drugs had a strong influence on all of his paintings. Despite that, it is good to mention that he used an abstract style to express his emotions and talents.
Unfortunately, the reason why Brett Whiteley lived so short (only 52 years). He was addicted to heroin, and he overdosed in 1992. However, this doesn’t mean he was a bad guy. There are many galleries across Australia where you can find out more about his life and work. You just got another task in case you decide to travel to Australia.
Margaret Preston
If you use Google or find books about Margaret Preston, you will easily notice that many authors name her “the natural enemy of the dull”. This strange nickname actually describes who she was.
She was born in 1875 and died in 1963. During her life, she managed to develop certain styles that were not usual for the artists of that period. More precisely, many experts of today will agree that she was the type of artist that was ahead of her time.
The reason why she was so different is the fact that she trained her talent and skills in different places across Europe. For instance, she managed to improve her technique of painting in London, Paris, Munich, etc. However, we must not forget that she was born in Adelaide. That only means she got the opportunity to meet with different styles and create a unique one that would impress millions of people.
Albert Namatjira
Are you a big fan of Indigenous art? Well, in case the answer to that question is “yes”, then finding out who Albert Namatjira is should be one of your tasks. Many people that lived in Australia in that period were impressed by his mix of Western-style watercolors and Aboriginal art. It is some sort of combination that included different traditional and modern styles of that period. That is probably the reason why he remained so popular today.
Anyway, the white community in Australia didn’t have enough opportunities to find out more about Aboriginal art. Something like that happened for the first time thanks to Albert Namatjira that even got citizenship in 1957 because of this work.
Fiona Hall
Okay, all the artists we have talked about so far are no longer alive. Because of that, we would like to put on this list one of the artists of today that still has the opportunity to share talents and skills with the worldwide population. Her name is Fiona Hall.
Fiona is simply a genius. Thanks to her work, she managed to closely explore the connection between culture and nature. In other words, she a huge fan of ecology and literature. While she was still a child, photography and painting grabbed her attention. Her work mostly focuses on moving images, garden designs, sculptures, and installations. Even today, she sometimes is a guest in TV shows across Australia, so we recommend you check out some of her interviews to get insights into who she is and why she deserves your attention.
David Noonan
We will finish the list of most popular Australian artists of all time with David Noonan. His main talent is utilizing all the images that he can find in magazines and books. After he does that, he produces the screen prints on creative narratives that are all made of eclectic materials. You won’t find his work only in the Australian galleries. His work is also present in different places across London, Paris, as well as Los Angeles. So, if you live in some of these places, you may check out his work while you are still at home.
