Cressida Campbell

'When you create a picture, for me it’s very much about making the image as strong as possible, whether it be subtle or bold. Strong in whatever way you want it to be. And then once you’ve done that, it’s like shedding a skin and then the picture goes off into the world.'

—Cressida Campbell

For Campbell, the Bronte house she shares with husband Warren Macris is a place of inspiration and sanctuary. Her interiors of light-filled rooms and sculptural furniture, windows framing the garden, and piles of books and textiles are a visual autobiography. They offer insight into her ordinary routines and interests, suggesting time spent listening to music or reading surrounded by beloved artworks and objects, each with their own story.

While earlier architectural views include friends’ homes and her former Sydney addresses, since 2001 Campbell has often depicted aspects of the small weatherboard cottage she bought with her first husband, the late film critic and publisher Peter Crayford. Renovations included building her studio at the top of a terraced garden.

During the last decade, loss has given Campbell heightened attention to light and mood within these interior images. Following Crayford’s death from cancer in 2011, Campbell’s grief found a formal equivalent in a series of images of in-between spaces: empty hallways, reflections and views through darkening windows. Since 2018, she has experimented with the tondo format, a circular form that offers compositional challenges and accentuates the sense of looking into a private world.

What does the use of a circle remind you of?

Describe the scene depicted in this work of art?

What imagery depicts Cressida Campbell presences in the room?

Why do you think the artist choose to frame this view of her bedroom within a circle?

What does Cressida Campbell’s collection of personal objects tell you about her identity and values?

If we could peek inside your bedroom, what could we learn about you?

Research other works by artists which document personal spaces, such as paintings by Gosia Wlodarczak, Brett Whitely, Wendy Sharpe, Henri -Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent Van Gogh. What is similar and different about the works of art by these artists?

What images do you have displayed in your bedroom? Why, or why don’t you choose to save and display photographs, art, posters, or other images in your bedroom?

Experiment with the circular format to select and share a glimpse into your bedroom. Use a combination of collage materials and drawings to express your personality or provide insights into your passions and hobbies.