Michael Kmit
Encyclopedia
Michael Kmit (*25 July 1910, Stryi
, — †22 May 1981 Sydney
, Australia
) was a Ukrainian
painter
who spent twenty-five of his most productive years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting to Australia, and winning a number of major Australian art prizes including the Blake Prize
(1952) and the Sulman Prize (in both 1957 and 1970). In 1969 the Australian artist and art critic James Gleeson
described Kmit as “one of the most sumptuous colourists of our time”.
, Cracow, but due to the conflict in World War II
, he was forced to leave his homeland and found himself a displaced person
. He studied art under Fernand Léger
in Paris, and Carlo Carrà
in Italy, before emigrating
to Australia in 1949, as part of the Australian Government's immigration scheme. Kmit was contracted to work in Sydney
for two years in a job selected for him by the Australian Government's employment service. He initially worked at a cement factory in Villawood, New South Wales
, but after Kmit met the artists James Gleeson
and Paul Haefliger, who were impressed with his work, he was introduced to other artists including Donald Friend
and Russell Drysdale
. His artist friends later helped him find lodgings and work nearer to the artist community in Sydney. Painting at night, during the day Kmit worked as a railway porter and cleaner while he established himself "as one of Australia's best artists" of the time.
of religious icon
painting, were well received in Australia for their fresh approach and new subjects. Labeled neo-Byzantine, his paintings integrated stylized portraiture with geometric cubist
and constructivist
forms, patterns and vivid color.
During the 1950s, before leaving for the United States
at the latter end of the decade, Kmit was a major influence on many artists, particularly those of the Sydney Charm School. Gleeson described Kmit as “one of the most sumptuous colourists of our time”. Paul Haefliger wrote:“Of all the foreign aspirants to art who have visited these shores since the war, Michael Kmit is the only one who has made an impression on the present generation of painters.”
After winning a string of awards including the Blake Prize (1953) and the Sulman Prize
(1957), he left Australia for the United States. His American period did not result in a lot of success and he went through a period of depression. Returning in 1965 his style and format had changed and the high praise for his work was replaced with cautious criticism. However, by the time "Cassandra" (1979) was painted, only two years before his death, Kmit had returned to the previous vigour of his 1950s works.
, Victoria
, Western Australia
, Tasmania
, New South Wales
and South Australia
, including selections for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. Kmit was an honorary member, and exhibited with the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
.
A selection of exhibitions included:
Stryi
Stryi is a city located on the left bank of the river Stryi in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine . Serving as the administrative center of the Stryi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast. Thus, the city has two administrations - the city and the raion...
, — †22 May 1981 Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) was a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
who spent twenty-five of his most productive years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting to Australia, and winning a number of major Australian art prizes including the Blake Prize
Blake Prize for Religious Art
The Blake Prize for Religious Art is an annual art prize in Australia.The prize was established in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art. Founded by Mr R. Morley, the Reverend Michael Scott SJ, Rector of Newman College, University of Melbourne, and lawyer Mrs M. Tenison, it...
(1952) and the Sulman Prize (in both 1957 and 1970). In 1969 the Australian artist and art critic James Gleeson
James Gleeson
James Timothy Gleeson was Australia's foremost artist. He was also a poet, critic, writer and curator. He played a significant role in the Australian art scene, including serving on the board of the National Gallery of Australia.-Early life:Gleeson was born in the Sydney district of Hornsby and he...
described Kmit as “one of the most sumptuous colourists of our time”.
Arrival in Australia
Michael Kmit studied at the Academy of Fine ArtsJan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts
The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, or Kraków Academy of Fine Arts , located in Kraków, Poland, is the oldest Polish fine-arts academy, established in 1818.It is a state-run university that offers 5- and 6-year Master's degree programs...
, Cracow, but due to the conflict in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was forced to leave his homeland and found himself a displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
. He studied art under Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
in Paris, and Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
in Italy, before emigrating
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to Australia in 1949, as part of the Australian Government's immigration scheme. Kmit was contracted to work in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
for two years in a job selected for him by the Australian Government's employment service. He initially worked at a cement factory in Villawood, New South Wales
Villawood, New South Wales
Villawood, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and City of Fairfield, is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
, but after Kmit met the artists James Gleeson
James Gleeson
James Timothy Gleeson was Australia's foremost artist. He was also a poet, critic, writer and curator. He played a significant role in the Australian art scene, including serving on the board of the National Gallery of Australia.-Early life:Gleeson was born in the Sydney district of Hornsby and he...
and Paul Haefliger, who were impressed with his work, he was introduced to other artists including Donald Friend
Donald Friend
Donald Stuart Leslie Friend was an Australian artist, writer and diarist.- Early life :Born in Sydney, precociously talented both as an artist and a writer, Friend grew up in the artistic circle of his bohemian mother...
and Russell Drysdale
Russell Drysdale
Sir George Russell Drysdale, AC was an Australian artist. He won the prestigious Wynne Prize for Sofala in 1947, and represented Australia at the Venice Biennale in 1954...
. His artist friends later helped him find lodgings and work nearer to the artist community in Sydney. Painting at night, during the day Kmit worked as a railway porter and cleaner while he established himself "as one of Australia's best artists" of the time.
Influence
Kmit's images, inspired by the Byzantine styleByzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
of religious icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
painting, were well received in Australia for their fresh approach and new subjects. Labeled neo-Byzantine, his paintings integrated stylized portraiture with geometric cubist
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
and constructivist
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
forms, patterns and vivid color.
During the 1950s, before leaving for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the latter end of the decade, Kmit was a major influence on many artists, particularly those of the Sydney Charm School. Gleeson described Kmit as “one of the most sumptuous colourists of our time”. Paul Haefliger wrote:“Of all the foreign aspirants to art who have visited these shores since the war, Michael Kmit is the only one who has made an impression on the present generation of painters.”
After winning a string of awards including the Blake Prize (1953) and the Sulman Prize
Sulman Prize
The Sir John Sulman Prize is one of Australia's longest running art prizes, having been established in 1936.It is now held concurrently with the Archibald Prize, Australia's best known art prize, and also with the Wynne Prize, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales , Sydney.-Criteria:The Sir John...
(1957), he left Australia for the United States. His American period did not result in a lot of success and he went through a period of depression. Returning in 1965 his style and format had changed and the high praise for his work was replaced with cautious criticism. However, by the time "Cassandra" (1979) was painted, only two years before his death, Kmit had returned to the previous vigour of his 1950s works.
Exhibitions
Between 1950 and 1981 Michael Kmit exhibited in numerous group shows throughout the Australian States of QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, including selections for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. Kmit was an honorary member, and exhibited with the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
The Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia was founded in 1967 and was particularly active from the 1960s to the 1970s. As well as the national body, there were a number of other chapters founded in the other Australian states, however, the NSW chapter of the Society, using the acronym СУОМА —...
.
A selection of exhibitions included:
- 1954 — Exhibited with the Sydney Group
- 1956 — 'Contemporary Australian Painting', Pacific Loan Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW and on board the SS Orcades
- 1965 — Dominion Galleries, Darlinghurst Sydney
- 1965 — Australian Galleries, Melbourne
- 1968 — Solo exhibition, Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
- 1979 — Solo exhibition, Niagara Lane Galleries, Melbourne (7–27 June 1979)
- 1974 — Group Show Official Opening of Phillip Bacon Galleries Queensland
- 1979 — Solo exhibition in Holdsworth Galleries Woollahra, Sydney
- 1980 — Solo Exhibition at the Fine Art Gallery, Western Australia
- 1980 — Blake Exhibition in Sydney
- 1982 — Solo exhibition, Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle (26 Feb – 14 Mar 1982)
Awards
- 1952 — Blake Prize for Religious Art (Second prize of 50 guineas) – with "The Ascension"
- 1953 — Blake Prize for Religious Art—("Evangelist John Mark")
- 1954 — Perth Prize for Contemporary Art
- 1955 — Critics Prize for Contemporary Art
- 1956 — Darcy Morris Memorial Prize
- 1957 — Sulman Prize — with "The Voice of Silence"
- 1967 — Melrose Prize, Adelaide
- 1970 — Sulman Prize — with "Philopena"
Collections held
- Ballarat Fine Art GalleryBallarat Fine Art GalleryArt Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia. Established in 1884 as the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery by the citizens of Ballarat both the building and part of its collection is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registerand by the National Trust of Victoria.The...
, Ballarat - National Gallery of AustraliaNational Gallery of AustraliaThe National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, Canberra - Art Gallery of New South WalesArt Gallery of New South WalesThe Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
- National Gallery of VictoriaNational Gallery of VictoriaThe National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
- Art Gallery of Western AustraliaArt Gallery of Western AustraliaThe Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public gallery that is part of the Perth Cultural Centre, in Perth, Western Australia. It is located near the Western Australian Museum and State Library of Western Australia...
- 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...
- Tasmanian Museum and Art GalleryTasmanian Museum and Art GalleryThe Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is a museum located in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum was established in 1843, by the Royal Society of Tasmania under the leadership of Sir John Franklin, the oldest Royal Society outside of England.-Governance:...
- Collections in Universities of SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, and MonashMonash UniversityMonash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL.... - Harold E. Mertz Collection of Australian Art, University of Texas, USA
- Cbus Collection of Australian Art
Sources
- 'Michael Kmit Paintings 1953-1979', Niagara Lane Galleries, Melbourne, exhibition catalogue, 7–27 June 1979
- 'Michael Kmit', Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle, exhibition list, 26 Feb – 14 Mar 1982