1927-1982

Fred Williams

Studied at the NGA Art school aged 16Studied at George Bell’s private art school.

Introduced to modernism.In his 20s went to England and studied at the

Chelsea Art School and learnt printmaking.Returned to Australia 1961. Was rejected by

the Antipodeans for exhibition of modern Australian artists.

Lived in Melbourne

Introduction

Paul Cezanne:Quarry at Bibemus

Influences

My Garden

Simplified shapes/form

Influence of Cubist George Braque

Compression of space

My Garden

"I repaint other people's paintings. See that there? That's 'Bailed up'. You know, Tom Roberts. I've just taken the figures out and repainted the background."- Fred Williams 1969

One of Williams' greatest works, 'My garden' was painted in direct response to Tom Roberts' 'Bailed up', underlining Williams' strong allegiance to the Heidelberg School and especially to Tom Roberts, the Australian painter he loved most of all. In a singularly profound homage from one artist to another, Williams transmuted the golden glare of a relatively gentle New England landscape into his own painterly expression of the hot red heart of the continent; acting out his long-held declaration that 'Bailed up' was the most important landscape painting in this country.

Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000

My Garden 1966-67

Bush fires at Wiepa. gouache on paper

Oil Paint on Canvas.Brushes to apply large areas of flat colour.Palette knife to apply paint to create a sculptural

effect.Directly applying the paint from the tube.Used the “fat on lean “rule and waited six to twelve

months to reworked his canvas Outdoor sketches with Gouache (opaque water colour)Looked at changes in light and viewpoints.Would work on a series of paintings at a time.Print making techniques included etching for lines and

trees and aquatint to make tones.

Mediums and techniques

Waterfall Polyptych 1979

Paul Cezanne for formGustave Courbet for thick pastes of paint to

create rocks and foliage.Chinese calligraphy use of line and spaceCubist construction of space e.g. George

Braque

Influences

Grew up post world war 2, materials for art were expensive.

Artists were not seen as a paying job. Supplemented his income by becoming a framer in his early years

Australian had to go to England to gain a cultural education

Influence of abstraction and development of his own style separate from an art movement

Historical / Cultural Setting