MEDIA RELEASE 20 February 2009 ‘Misty Moderns’ exhibition brings landmark art movement to light at the National Gallery of Australia Exhibition dates: 20 February – 27 April 2009 The National Gallery of Australia today opened the national touring exhibition, Misty Moderns: Australian Tonalists 1915-1950. Developed by the Art Gallery of South Australia, the exhibition explores one of the most influential but forgotten movements of 20th century Australian art, Australian Tonalism. It brings together 82 works by the pioneering and often controversial Melbourne painter Max Meldrum (1875-1955) and 17 of his followers. “This is the first exhibition to bring together such a collection of Australian Tonalist works. The Art Gallery of South Australia has put together a superb exhibition drawing works from both public and private collections from around Australia and the National Gallery is thrilled to be able to show this exhibition for the next two months,” said Ron Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of Australia Tonalism was a movement of the inter-war period often characterised by a ‘misty’ or atmospheric quality. Tonalist works were created by building ‘tone on tone’, a painting method developed and espoused by Max Meldrum. “Tonalism is probably the most misunderstood, underestimated and underappreciated movement in Australian art history. It was hugely important to the development of 20th century art in this country,” said exhibition curator and Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Tracey Lock-Weir. Tonalism developed from Meldrum’s ‘Scientific theory of Impressions’ and flourished in Melbourne and Sydney. Controversially, it opposed Post- Impressionism and Modernism, and is now regarded as a precursor to Minimalism and Conceptualism. “Max Meldrum was a pioneer but he was also terribly divisive. There was a certain stigma attached to him and his followers which still remains today … even some of the most beautiful Tonalist paintings have often been ignored or dismissed by the art world – until now,” continued Ms Lock-Weir. 1 Included in the exhibition are works by Meldrum’s best-known pupils Clarice Beckett, Percy Leason and Colin Colahan, and formative works by Australian Modernists Roy de Maistre, Roland Wakelin and Lloyd Rees, who were all heavily influenced by Meldrum’s theories. “Traditionally Meldrum has been associated with conservatism, however it is surprising to realise that his theories influenced many of Australia’s most innovative Modernists,” said Ms Lock-Weir. Following the exhibition’s opening season in Adelaide, Misty Moderns began a national tour made possible with the support of Visions of Australia; an Australian Government Program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of cultural material across Australia. o Tracey Lock-Weir, Exhibition Curator, will give a public talk at the Gallery on Friday 20 February at 12.45pm. o During the exhibition there will also be lunchtime talks by Rosalind Hollinrake, who effectively re-discovered the work of Meldrum’s star pupil, Clarice Beckett in 1971; Peter Perry, Director of Castlemaine Art Gallery and author of Max Meldrum & associates, and Ron Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of Australia, who has had a long-held interest in this exhibition. o For more information on Public Programs go to www.nga.gov.au To download images please visit http://nga.gov.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/MistyModerns For media inquiries please contact: Sandra Sweeney, Marketing and Communications Manager, NGA T: 02 6240 6700 M: 0414 379 881 [email protected] Kirsten Downie, Head of Marketing and Communications, NGA T: 02 6240 6643 M: 0407 523 948 [email protected] Norma Davis, Marketing and Communications, NGA T: 02 6240 6431 M:0421 456 187 [email protected] Also showing: Degas: master of French art, now showing until 22 March 2009 Admission: $20 adults, $15 concession/members, $6 children 7–16, free children under 7 More information: www.nga.gov.au/degas Degas’ world: the rage for change, 24 January to 3 May 2009 Free admission 2 .