Australian Tonalism
Encyclopedia
Australian Tonalism was an art movement
that emerged in Melbourne
during the interwar period
. Its main exponent was Max Meldrum
, whose theory of building "tone on tone" and objective optical analysis led to the development of a unique style of painting characterized by a "misty" or atmospheric quality. Meldrum's published theories of art created a storm in the Australian art world, and his school of painting attracted equally passionate followers and critics. Artists who adopted Meldrum's methods became derisively known as "Meldrumites". The Meldrumites rejected the "self-conscious nationalism" and sentimental nature of the 1880s Heidelberg School
impressionists, and attacked various forms of Modernist painting which Meldrum considered to be ego-based and technically inferior. Ironically, Australian Tonalism's conceptual complexities and illusionary soft focus
aesthetic is now regarded as a precursor to Modernist styles of painting, including Minimalism
and Conceptualism
.
In 2008, the Art Gallery of South Australia
debuted Misty Moderns, the first major exhibition to cover Australian Tonalism since the movement's demise. Apart from Meldrum, Misty Moderns featured works by 17 of Meldrum's pupils and artists who formatively experimented with tonalism, including Clarice Beckett
, Percy Leason, Colin Colahan, Lloyd Rees
, Roland Wakelin
, Roy de Maistre
, Arnold Shore, Godfrey Miller and Elioth Gruner
.
Art movement
An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a restricted period of time, or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years...
that emerged in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
. Its main exponent was Max Meldrum
Max Meldrum
Duncan Max Meldrum was a Scottish born Australian painter. He is known as the founder of Australian Tonalism, a representational style of painting, as well as his portrait work, for which he won the Archibald Prize in 1939 and 1940.-Early Life and Training:Meldrum was born in Edinburgh, Scotland,...
, whose theory of building "tone on tone" and objective optical analysis led to the development of a unique style of painting characterized by a "misty" or atmospheric quality. Meldrum's published theories of art created a storm in the Australian art world, and his school of painting attracted equally passionate followers and critics. Artists who adopted Meldrum's methods became derisively known as "Meldrumites". The Meldrumites rejected the "self-conscious nationalism" and sentimental nature of the 1880s Heidelberg School
Heidelberg School
The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century. The movement has latterly been described as Australian Impressionism....
impressionists, and attacked various forms of Modernist painting which Meldrum considered to be ego-based and technically inferior. Ironically, Australian Tonalism's conceptual complexities and illusionary soft focus
Soft focus
In photography, soft focus is a lens flaw, in which the lens forms images that are blurred due to spherical aberration. A soft focus lens deliberately introduces spherical aberration in order to give the appearance of blurring the image while retaining sharp edges; it is not the same as an...
aesthetic is now regarded as a precursor to Modernist styles of painting, including Minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
and Conceptualism
Conceptualism
Conceptualism is a philosophical theory that explains universality of particulars as conceptualized frameworks situated within the thinking mind. Intermediate between Nominalism and Realism, the conceptualist view approaches the metaphysical concept of universals from a perspective that denies...
.
In 2008, the Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
debuted Misty Moderns, the first major exhibition to cover Australian Tonalism since the movement's demise. Apart from Meldrum, Misty Moderns featured works by 17 of Meldrum's pupils and artists who formatively experimented with tonalism, including Clarice Beckett
Clarice Beckett
Clarice Majoribanks Beckett was an Australian painter born in Casterton, Victoria. Her works are featured in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of South Australia....
, Percy Leason, Colin Colahan, Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Frederic Rees AC CMG was an Australian landscape painter who twice won the Wynne Prize for his landscape paintings....
, Roland Wakelin
Roland Wakelin
Roland Shakespeare Wakelin was an Australian painter and teacher, born in Greytown, New Zealand, who with Roy de Maistre and Grace Cossington Smith are regarded as founding the modern movement in Sydney....
, Roy de Maistre
Roy De Maistre
Roy de Maistre CBE was an Australian artist of international fame. He is famous in Australian art for his early experimentation in "colour-music", and is recognised as the first Australian artist to use pure abstractionism. His later works were painted in a figurative style generally influenced by...
, Arnold Shore, Godfrey Miller and Elioth Gruner
Elioth Gruner
Elioth Lauritz Leganyer Gruner, early anglicised from Grüner , was an Australian painter, winner of the Wynne Prize seven times.-Early life:...
.
Further reading
- Lock-Weir, Tracey. Misty Moderns: Australian Tonalists 1915-1950. Art Gallery of South AustraliaArt Gallery of South AustraliaThe Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
, 2008. ISBN 0-7308-3015-2. - Perry, Peter. Max Meldrum & Associates: Their Art, Lives and Influences. Castlemaine Art Gallery, 1996. ISBN 0-9598-0667-9.