A central figure in the story of modern art in Australia, Margaret Preston is celebrated for her bold floral still lifes and wood block prints. Establishing herself as a central figure in the dissemination of modernist principles in Sydney in the 1920s, she pursued the development of a visual language that was uniquely Australian.
To resolve her passion in defining a national art, Preston turned towards the cultural material of First Peoples. Although Preston was progressive in recognising the aesthetic value of the objects and motifs she incorporated, her approach did not consider their significance to the communities from which she appropriated. Today, Margaret Preston’s work continues to inspire and generate debate, emphasising her important contribution to Australian art of the twentieth century.
Opening to the public on 4 September at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Margaret Preston features nearly 250 works, including some of the artist’s most iconic paintings and prints alongside works by her peers and contemporary First Nations artists who have responded to her use of Indigenous iconography.
Hear from one of the exhibition curators, Beckett Rozentals, Senior Curator of Australian Art, as she introduces the exhibition exclusively for Members ahead of the Members Exhibition Preview.