Federation University arts lecturer James Pasakos is one of just nine artists chosen to celebrate unpublished sketchings by Australian artist Sir Arthur Streeton.
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The Queencliff Gallery residency and exhibition Streeton Prints will end on Sunday.
Streeton, who was known for his Australian landscapes, etched the series on his honeymoon in Europe.
“They were brought here by one of the grandson’s pretty much under a blanket and they were restored here at the Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop. They hadn’t seen the light of day,” Mr Pasakos said.
Known as the honeymoon works, the etchings are being exhibited for the first time – 150 years after they were drawn.
“I think in the new age of mixed media and contemporary works we sometimes miss the beauty of handmade drawing and handmade printmaking - the mark of the artist.”
To debut the unpublished etchings near Streeton’s childhood town was “quirk of fate” Print Council of Australia manager Marguerite Brown said.
“There is an unexpected poetry to the fact that these images of foreign locales make their debut exhibition in the place where Streeton spent his early childhood, Queenscliff, some 150 years later.
“Many questions remain unanswered about these etchings and there is much they will continue to reveal. Such treasures are rarely unearthed and elucidate an otherwise unknown moment in Streeton’s career – a stop made upon his journey from the romantic young artist dreaming through the hills of Eaglemont and Box Hill, to the celebrated icon he was to become.”
The prints have been numbered by William Streeton, Streeton’s grandson, who also signed the reverse of each impression.
Sunday, April 30 is the last day of the Streeton Prints Exhibition. For more information visit www.qgw.com.au. Entry is free.