Arthur Boyd (1920-1999) remains a leading figure in the Australian art scene, renowned for his highly emotive and often confronting paintings that captured the raw psyche of the Australian bush.
Rich in allegory, Boyd’s practice is distinctive for its uninhibited inner emotional vision, with paintings that ranged from impressionist interpretations of the landscape to highly expressionist figuration. Led by a strong social conscience, his paintings convey a deep understanding towards human struggle, including a passionate critique of Australian culture and themes of love, loss and shame.Artworks drew on literary, mythological and sometimes even biblical sources, as well as personal, but often ambiguous symbolism. His work is often descried as depicting a dreamlike atmosphere, which is both fascinating, yet menacing.
Throughout his long career, Boyd often collaborated with other artists, experimenting with a variety of mediums. He met printmaker Tony Deigan, in 1989 who introduced him to the printmaking technique of collagraphy. The collagraph process was embraced by Boyd, its ability to capture rich colours and textures lending itself to Boyd’s natural expressive imagery. Collagraph plates developed by Boyd often used unconventional materials, such as glue and carborundum powder on aluminium. Both artists worked together on several projects, including alongside Indra Deigan, creating a series of prints during the early 1990’s.
These three works represent key works created during this time, Boyd using glue to paint directly on to each plate, then printed using up to twenty separate colours across three individual plates to create a single work.
ARTHUR BOYD
Nebuchadnezzar Blind On A Starry Night 1993
collagraph on paper
51 x 61.5 cm [artist proof]
signed lower right (93 x 97 cm framed size)
$6,250 [framed with artglass]
[Collection of Tony & Indra Deigan, Southern Highlands]
