FROM THE ARCHIVES

Nantawarra (SA) // 1996 // watercolour on paper // 30cm x 74cm // Private Collection

Whilst we’re enjoying the last warm sunny days of mid-autumn, grain growers across southern Australia are busily preparing their paddocks for sowing and hoping for the ‘opening of the season’, when decent soaking rain falls around Anzac Day. In this instalment from the archives, Maurovic’s painting titled Nantawarra (SA) depicts the description just outlined. The tiny hamlet of Nantawarra is in South Australia’s mid-north, just off the Augusta Highway between Port Wakefield and Snowtown.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

To herald the arrival of Spring 2021 in Australia, these two images of Richard Maurovic paintings highlight that theme:

Almond Blossoms, Angle Vale (SA) // 1997 // Watercolour on paper // 13 cm x 18 cm // Private Collection

In this small watercolour, Maurovic explores the use of pointillism, first developed in 1886 by French artists, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac as an offshoot of Impressionism. it uses small dots of colour to build the overall scene. Art critics at the time used the term ‘pointillism’ to ridicule the artists that employed the technique.

Cornishman’s Hill Road, One Tree Hill (SA) // 2006 // Acrylic on canvas // 30 cm x 45 cm // Private Collection

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Happy Birthday Heysen Tunnels!

They turn 21 today. It was on a sunny 5 March 2000 that Prime Minister John Howard cut the ribbon to officially open the $500M new M1 Crafers Highway project.

Invited guests then watched a convoy of trucks emerge from the Adelaide-bound tunnels portal. After the opening, the guests drove along the new section of road before making their way to Eagle On The Hill Hotel for refreshments and lunch.

The new highway saw the removal of the notorious Devil’s Elbow with twin tunnels taking traffic under Eagle On the Hill and on to the existing South Eastern Freeway at Crafers.

Richard Maurovic was the official artist to the project and Prime Minister John Howard opened his Crafers Highway-themed exhibition displayed at the Eagle on the Hill Hotel.

Devil’s Elbow, Adelaide Hills // 1999 // Acrylic on canvas // (diptych) each panel 60cm x 80cm // Private Collection

Approach To Devil’s Elbow // 2000 // Watercolour // 21cm x 30cm // Private Collection

Heysen Tunnels Portal // 2008 // Acrylic on canvas // 60cm x 60cm // Private Collection

FROM THE ARCHIVES

In 2001 Robert Hannaford was a finalist in the Art Gallery of NSW’s prestigious Archibald Prize with his portrait of Richard Maurovic.

Robert Hannaford (1944 - )

Richard Maurovic // 2001 // Oil on canvas // 183cm x 122cm

RICHARD MAUROVIC NEW EXHIBITION AT PORT ELLIOT SA

Richard Maurovic’s latest exhibition at Strand Gallery, Port Elliot SA, opens to the public from 1.00pm

on Sunday 10 January 2021 and will run throughout January and February..

Rainy Sunset, Willunga Hill SA // Acrylic on canvas // 40cm x 60cm

41 The Strand, PORT ELLIOT

Telephone: 0419 501 648

https://www.strandgallery.com.au/

RICHARD MAUROVIC NEW EXHIBITION: SAVE THE DATE

Strand Gallery at Port Elliot is proud to be hosting Richard Maurovic’s latest exhibition.

The exhibition will be held throughout January and February 2021.

View To Victor Harbor, Port Elliot SA // Acrylic on canvas on board // 40cm x 120cm

41 The Strand, PORT ELLIOT SA 5212

Telephone: 0419 501 648

https://www.strandgallery.com.au

FROM THE ARCHIVES

This post commemorates the first anniversary of the death of Suzanne Twelftree, a dear friend to Richard Maurovic.

Maurovic says:

The idea for Portrait of Suzanne Twelftree (2006) was taken from Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait The Broken Column (1944). Kahlo painted it soon after she had spinal surgery, which had resulted from a serious bus accident, as an 18-year-old in 1925.

Suzanne Twelftree’s detached spine required her to wear a plastic brace in order for her to sit upright. The painting well depicts Suzanne’s determined character: fixing a stoic, steely gaze directly at the viewer in a field of ripening barley on her farm on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. In 2006, Portrait of Suzanne Twelftree was awarded first prize in the Royal South Australian Society of Arts’ 150th anniversary art prize.

Portrait of Suzanne Twelftree (2006) // Acrylic on canvas // 70cm x 110cm

Collection: Royal South Australian Society of Arts, Adelaide

FROM THE ARCHIVES

This will be an occasional series looking at past works by Richard Maurovic.

The first image selected is also the first coloured acrylic painting Maurovic did in 1994. It was painted soon after he won $1000 of art materials in an art competition sponsored by Winsor & Newton.

Maurovic says:

I never used acrylic paint before so I thought it might be a good subject to start with and was pleased with the result. I painted it on heavy watercolour paper because I’d not yet tried painting on canvas.

Roadworks, Park Street, Hyde Park (SA) 1994 // Acrylic on paper // 27cm x 42cm

2018 CITY OF WEST TORRENS ART PRIZE

Richard's painting Respecting All Cultures, Torrensville was awarded the $10,000 first prize in the 2018 City of West Torrens Art Prize 

Respecting All Cultures, Torrensville (SA) 2018 // Acrylic on Canvas // 70 x 140cm

2016 Fleurieu Biennale Food + Wine Art Prize

Richard’s painting Lamb Rump has received a Highly Commended Award in the Food & Wine Art Prize category of the prestigious 2016 Fleurieu Art Prize.

Lamb Rump 2015 // Acrylic on canvas // 60 x 80cm

Shaping Life

Richard Maurovic: Shaping Life (Wakefield Press 2016) is a high quality art book about Richard’s painting career thus far. This monograph by Melbourne-based art historian Maggie Watson and retired ABC features writer Jennifer Palmer is taking shape; it is currently with the publisher’s designer and will go to the printer soon. This book, featuring over 100 high quality images of Richard’s paintings, is scheduled for release at his October exhibition of new works at Hill Smith Gallery, Adelaide. Visit the Hill Smith Gallery website for details.