Paintings and historic linocuts by the pioneering Australian modernist Dorrit Black
Paintings and historic linocuts by the pioneering Australian modernist Dorrit Black (1891-1951) are in Deutscher and Hackett’s up-coming art auction this month. The 22 works, from the Estate of a relative of the artist, will be on view from Thursday next week in the firm’s South Yarra gallery.
Having trained in Sydney at staid Julian Ashton’s, Black was swept away by the progressive values taught at several influential studio-schools during travels to Europe in the 1920s. London saw her among that wave of eager young artists who studied British-modernist printmaking under Claude Flight at the Grosvenor School, really taking to his school’s signature linocut style. A selection of the superb ‘jazzy modern’ linocuts Black made there will be on view at Deutscher and Hackett — seeing them will certainly be worthwhile (illus. above).
Black next went across to Paris wanting to learn about Cubism. Together with fellow Australians Grace Crowley and Anne Dangar, she studied there under the Salon Cubistes André Lhote and Albert Gleizes, who taught a chic hybrid style which crossed elements of Art Deco and Cézannism. Gleizes also ran a summer colony at Mirmande, in rural France, where students painted landscapes in the distinctive style.
Back in Sydney in 1931, Black and Crowley started the Modern Art Centre, a small gallery which championed Ralph Balson, Grace Cossington Smith, Roland Wakelin and Rah Fizelle. —There will also be on view at Deutscher and Hackett paintings produced by Dorrit Black in France (illus below), and back in Australia.
Dorrit Black, Dutch peasant, c.1931 – 32