The Europeans

Emigré Artists in Australia 1930–1960

Exhibition
15 Mar 1997 – 29 Jun 1997
A black and white photograph of a figure standing at the edge of the cliff holding a piece of fabric that flutters in the wind

Wolfgang Sievers, Designer Gerard Herbst holding his 'Prestige' material, Red Bluff, Sandringham , Melbourne, 1950, Gift of the artist 1988

About

The Europeans exhibition recognises the contribution made to the visual arts in Australia by the European émigrés who settled here during the period 1930 to 1960. They brought with them different traditions, values and experiences that, together with the work they produced and the works of art they brought with them, were to have a profound effect on Australian practice, and culture in general.

The selection of works of art for the travelling exhibition will encompass the main themes of the exhibition as originally displayed in Canberra at the National Gallery of Australia, 15 March – 29 June 1997: the internment camp experience; the commitment to integrating art and life; and the public persona of the artist.

The works of art included in the travelling exhibition will comprise drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, textiles, jewellery and graphic design by the following artists: Margaret Michaelis-Sachs, Inge King, Dusan Marek, Erwin Fabian, Ludwig Hirshfield Mack, Bruno Simon, Thomas De Kessler, Vincas Jomantas, Andor Meszaros, Helmut Newton, Victor Vodicka, Ernst Fries, Niina Ratsep, Peter Talacko, Wolfgang Sievers, Gert Sellheim, Vaclovas Ratas, Teisutis Zikaras, Guenter Stein, Julius Kane, Karl Duldig, Henry Salkauskas, Louis Kahan and Udo Sellbach.

Text sourced from: The Europeans : Emigré Artists in Australia, 1930-1960. Edited by Roger Butler. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1997.

Related

Artist Interviews /  Audio

Inge King Interview
James Gleeson Oral History Collection

A steel and aluminium black sculpture of two large rectangular shapes flanking three circular shapes, one of which that has a circular opening within it

Published 2015

James Gleeson interviews Inge King, 18 October 1979.

90 minutes
Exhibition

The Life and Work of Wolfgang Sievers

Past Exhibition

26 Nov 1988 – 19 Feb 1989

This exhibition displayed photographs by Wolfgang Sievers, a photographer from Berlin who worked in Australia in his mature years.

Exhibition

Margaret Michaelis

Past Exhibition
Black and white portrait of a posing woman

26 Nov 1988 – 19 Feb 1989

Exhibition

Mud Men
Ramesh Nithiyendran

Past Exhibition
A ceramic sculpture of a vaguely humanoid figure atop a cement platform

3 Jun 2016 – 26 Feb 2017

Mud men is a new installation by Sydney-based artist Ramesh Nithiyendran featuring five large-scale ceramic sculptures.

Exhibition

FuturePlay
from the house of tomorrow

Past Exhibition
Model layout of exhibitions with hands adjusting the location of works of art

19 Mar 2005 – 29 May 2005

futurePlay transforms the Children’s Gallery into a playroom of the future, with an electronic world of digital animations and interactive artwork.

Exhibition

Silently Stirring

Past Exhibition
Two squirrels on a branch, one on all fours and another in an upright position with paws held up to mouth

21 Mar 2009 – 8 Jun 2009

Silently stirring explores the themes of movement, change and transformation through prints, drawings, photography and sculpture of animals.

Exhibition

Diane Arbus
American Portraits

Past Exhibition
A black and white photo of harried Christmas shoppers looking down at the photographer

3 Jun 2016 – 30 Oct 2016

The photographs of Diane Arbus (1923–1971) are powerful allegories of postwar America.

Exhibition

In the Spotlight
Anton Bruehl photographs 1920s–1950s

Past Exhibition
Picture of a young redheaded offering a bouquet of red roses to an unknown figure whose elderly hands are shown in the frame.

23 Oct 2010 – 6 Feb 2011

Australian-born photographer Anton Bruehl's work ranges across advertising, images of stars of stage, screen and socialites in places such as Vogue.

Exhibition

The Birth of the Modern Poster

Past Exhibition
Print of a green goblin holding a bottle of alcohol upon a black background. Yellow text underneath reads Maurin Quina

10 Feb – 13 May 2007

The Birth of the Modern Poster examined poster art and its evolution from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.

Exhibition

Robert Rauschenberg
1967–1978

Past Exhibition
Collage with two elephants in the centre, small clock face, pill and fingertip images

1 Sep 2007 – 27 Jan 2008

Rauschenberg worked beyond the restrictions imposed by media, style and convention, and adopted a unique experimental methodology.