Roland Wakelin
Encyclopedia
Roland Shakespeare Wakelin (17 April 1887 – 28 May 1971) 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
.
He studied at Wellington Technical School 1902–03 then while working in the Land and Income Tax Department took night classes in painting under Henri Bastings. In 1908 and 1909 he visited his brother in Sydney then in 1912 joined him, then enrolled in the Royal Art Society School to study drawing and painting under Dattilo Rubbo
.
In 1919 he and Roy de Maistre held a two-man exhibition Colour in Art influenced by Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh at Gayfield Shaw's art salon in Sydney.
In 1913 he started work at the New South Wales Land Tax Office. In 1914 he started work as a ticket writer for Mark Foy's
and David Jones
department stores, then from 1916 worked for the commercial art firm of Smith and Julius
. He worked in London as a freelance artist (spending some time in Paris) 1922–24.
On his return to Sydney
in 1925 he held an exhibition of his work, largely influenced by Cezanne at John Young's Macquarie Galleries
. He was to hold frequent further exhibitions between 1928 and 1970, with a memorial exhibition held in 1972.
From 1924–41 he worked for the commercial art firm of O'Brien Publicity. From 1942–49 he worked in the drawing department of the PMG
(now Telstra
). He was in Melbourne
1950–51 teaching at the National Gallery School then in the University of Sydney
from 1952 teaching part-time, mostly to architecture students. From 1956–57 he toured Europe, visiting England, Holland, France and Italy.
Roland was an affable, sociable man of considerable attainments in fields other than painting - he read widely and had a fine basso voice, with a repertoire from popular songs and Gilbert and Sullivan
to Mozart and Bach
.
Greytown
Greytown may refer to one of several places:*Greytown, New Zealand, a town in the southern North Island's Wairarapa region*Greytown, Nicaragua, the capital city of the municipality of San Juan de Nicaragua*Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal, a town in South Africa...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, who with 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...
and Grace Cossington Smith
Grace Cossington Smith
Grace Cossington Smith AO OBE was an Australian artist and pioneer of modernist painting in Australia and was instrumental in introducing Post-Impressionism to her home country...
are regarded as founding the modern movement 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...
.
He studied at Wellington Technical School 1902–03 then while working in the Land and Income Tax Department took night classes in painting under Henri Bastings. In 1908 and 1909 he visited his brother in Sydney then in 1912 joined him, then enrolled in the Royal Art Society School to study drawing and painting under Dattilo Rubbo
Dattilo Rubbo
Antonio Salvatore Dattilo Rubbo was an Italian-born artist and art teacher active in Australia from 1897.Rubbo, or Dattilo-Rubbo, was born in Naples in 1870 and arrived in Australia in 1897. From 1898 Rubbo taught in Sydney schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Kambala, The Scots...
.
In 1919 he and Roy de Maistre held a two-man exhibition Colour in Art influenced by Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh at Gayfield Shaw's art salon in Sydney.
In 1913 he started work at the New South Wales Land Tax Office. In 1914 he started work as a ticket writer for Mark Foy's
Foy & Gibson
Foy & Gibson was one of Australia's earliest department store chains, modelled on Le Bon Marché in Paris and other European and American Stores of the period...
and David Jones
David Jones Limited
David Jones Limited , colloquially known as DJs, is a high-end Australian department store chain.David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant, and is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. It...
department stores, then from 1916 worked for the commercial art firm of Smith and Julius
Sydney Ure Smith
Sydney George Ure Smith was an Australian arts publisher and promoter who 'did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas'....
. He worked in London as a freelance artist (spending some time in Paris) 1922–24.
On his return to 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...
in 1925 he held an exhibition of his work, largely influenced by Cezanne at John Young's Macquarie Galleries
Macquarie Galleries
Macquarie Galleries was a Sydney, Australia private art gallery established in 1925 by John Henry Young and Basil Burdett. It was located at "Strathkyle", 19 Bligh Street Sydney then moved to 40 King Street in 1945....
. He was to hold frequent further exhibitions between 1928 and 1970, with a memorial exhibition held in 1972.
From 1924–41 he worked for the commercial art firm of O'Brien Publicity. From 1942–49 he worked in the drawing department of the PMG
Postmaster-General's Department
The Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
(now Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
). He was 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...
1950–51 teaching at the National Gallery School then in the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The 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...
from 1952 teaching part-time, mostly to architecture students. From 1956–57 he toured Europe, visiting England, Holland, France and Italy.
Roland was an affable, sociable man of considerable attainments in fields other than painting - he read widely and had a fine basso voice, with a repertoire from popular songs and Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
to Mozart and Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
.