Schoolgirl Shadow, 1978, Charles Blackman
Ink and wash on cardboard, 21cm x 16cm
Provenance: Mossgreen, Melbourne.
One of the most prominent Australian painters in history, Charles Blackman is most known for works that incorporate scenes from Alice in Wonderland and his Schoolgirl series. His works convey narrative events from the character’s viewpoint. “The artist’s job is to discover new meaning in his life,” he has said. A primarily self-taught artist, he uses exaggerated angles and strong light. In the lates 50s, Blackman collaborated with a number of figurative artists to create The Antipodeans group, which railed against Australian artists adopting American Abstract Expressionism and other non-figurative styles. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Tate Gallery in London, among others (1).