EQUILIBRIUM

My linocut A Man, a Woman and a Duck, an older work that brings back more happy memories than I can count, has been included in  EQUILIBRIUM - WORKS FROM THE LATROBE REGIONAL GALLERY COLLECTION at Latrobe Regional Gallery. 

The exhibition showcases aquatically-themed works drawn from the LRG Collection, ranging from the traditional to the allegorical.

A Man, a Woman and a Duck, 1996, linocut, 30.5 x 40.5 cm, is an absurdist, affectionate,  semi-autobiographical homage to my hometown, the Melbourne seaside suburb of St. Kilda, from which I sometimes suspect the umbilical cord was never fully severed. 

Featured Artists 

Rashida Abdel-Aziz/Julie Adams/Jennifer Aitken/Marita Anderson/Clarice Beckett/Violet Biram/Marion Borgelt/Lynne Boyd/Deborah Cocks/Pauline Delaney/Caroline Durré/Lesley Duxbury/Anne Dybka/Susan Faraday/Kaye L. Green/Eileen Gordon/Juli Haas/Fiona Hall/Treahna Hamm/Anne Hand/Edith Hughston/Margaret Johnston/Carolyn Jones/Deborah Klein/ Vee Labson/Mandy Martin/Kim McDonald/Mary Meyer/Tracey Moffatt/Jan Murray/Jill Noble/Penny Ormerod/Jacki Parry/Susan Purdy/Louisa Riggall/Christian Clare Robertson/Margi Sheppard/Sophia Szilagyi/Jessie Traill/Louisa Waters/Vanessa White

EQUILIBRIUM - WORKS FROM THE LATROBE REGIONAL GALLERY COLLECTION 

LATROBE REGIONAL GALLERY

138 Commercial Road
Morwell, Victoria 3840, Australia
P: +61 3 5128 5700
lrg@latrobe.vic.gov.au

Opening Hours:
Daily 10am to 4pm

EQUILIBRIUM opened on July 5 and continues to October 19.

Photo credit: Tim Gresham. 

English Rose, Australian Thorn

Pictured top: Anon, 1998, two-colour linocut printed from three blocks onto Japanese mending tissue laid on brown oriental paper. 

I’m delighted to learn that Anon has been included in the intriguingly themed exhibition English Rose, Australian Thorn, currently on view at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. 

The above image, from which the following information has been extracted, is from the July issue of Art Almanac.

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

531 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba 4350

T (07) 4688-6652. E art@tr.qld.gov.au

W tr.qid.gov.au/trag Instagram: @trartgalleries

Free entry. H Wed-Sun 10.30 to 3.30. Closed Mon-Tues and public holidays. 

To Nov 23: English Rose, Australian Thorn. Inspired by Norman Lindsay's thorny relationship with England, this exhibition explores how Australian culture has transplanted, pruned or uprooted its English heritage. Besides Lindsay, featured artists include Graham Burstow, Sophie Carnell, Deborah Klein, George Lambert, Lionel Lindsay, and Zoja Trofimiuk.

Deborah Klein, Anon, 1998, linocut, 56.5 x 38cm

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection 501

Ⓒ Deborah Klein

Courtesy the artist and Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

English Rose, Australian Thorn opened on May 10 and runs to November 23. 

Painting the white roses red

Unlike the roses planted in error by the hapless gardeners in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the roses in my linocut Everything’s coming up roses were always intended to be red. Throughout their transformation from white to crimson, however, I couldn’t help but recall one of my all-time favourite books (along with its companion volume, Through the Looking Glass), which it seems still influence my own work, even when I’m not conscious of it. Incidentally, the Alice books were also revered by the Surrealists.

Here is an excerpt from the relevant chapter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:

CHAPTER VIII

The Queen's Croquet-Ground

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!’…

…`Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, `why you are painting those roses?'

Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, `Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to--' At this moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out `The Queen! The Queen!' and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.

To read the entire chapter, click here:

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-VIII.html

Everything’s coming up roses was created for IRREPRESSIBLE, an exhibition and print exchange portfolio coordinated by Rona Green. Comprising 55 relief prints by 55 invited artists, it will be exhibited at Whitehorse Artspace in early 2026. 

Images 1-3 from top: 

1 The hand-colouring begins;

2 Illustration by John Tenniel from the original edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1866. (Public domain). 

3 Completed hand-colouring of the first of an edition of 56, plus proofs. 

Editioning at Agave Print Studio

Preview of the linocut edition for IRREPRESSIBLE, a group exhibition and print portfolio to be launched in early 2026. The project, which was conceived by Rona Green, will feature some truly terrific artists and I’m thrilled to be part of it. 

My linocut was printed by Australian printmaking legend Dianne Longley at Agave Print Studio at Trentham in West Central Victoria.

We were serenaded by some of the locals as we walked the path to Dianne’s studio to collect the completed edition. It was a delight to encounter Laughing kookaburras at such close range.

To see early progress views of the linocut, go HERE.

Images from top:

1-2: Print edition in progress at Agave Print Studio;

3: The splendid Albion Press on which the linocut was printed;

4-5: Special welcoming committee on the day we collected the completed print edition.

Photo credit for images 1-2: Dianne Longley.

Vale Hertha Kluge-Pott

Like so many others, I’m deeply saddened to hear that Hertha Kluge-Pott, one of Australia’s printmaking legends, has passed away.

In these photos I’m pictured with Hertha at the Australian Print Workshop during the award ceremony for the 2022 APW George Collie Memorial Award, of which she was a recipient. 

I was awarded the APW George Collie Memorial Award back in 2020, but the official presentation was postponed due to COVID lockdowns. It was worth the wait, as well as a tremendous honour, to belatedly receive the award on the same day as Hertha. 

Hertha and I are standing (together with APW Director Anne Virgo in image No. 1, top), in front of a series of linocuts by the late Barbara Hanrahan, who jointly received the award in 2020. The late Ann Newmarch OAM was joint recipient of the 2022 award. 

In tandem with the awards, the APW held an exhibition of works by all four artists, which ran from August - October 2022.

The APW George Collie Memorial Award is presented annually by the APW in acknowledgement of artists who have made a significant contribution to Australian printmaking. It was a privilege to be included in such esteemed company (including those who came before us) and marvellous, as always, to catch up with Hertha. I never dreamed that it would be the last time I would see her. 

RIP, Hertha.

OutWARds BALLARAT - Women’s Art Register’s 50th Anniversary Roadshow

 

Pictured above and below: snapshots of Women’s Art Register’s enlightening, informative and inspirational information day on Saturday, 31 May, as part of Outwards Ballarat at Eureka Centre Ballarat, the first stop in W.A.R.’s 50th Anniversary Roadshow.

 

The program began with a history of the Women’s Art Register and also included invaluable advice for artists on conserving their artworks and how to leave their legacies. (The W.A.R. publication Leaving your Legacy is an essential resource). I’ve since begun to compile a long overdue update to the archive of my own work that’s held in the Register.

 

On a personal note, it was terrific to reconnect after far too many years with Merren Ricketson, History & Education Coordinator. (Image 3 above). Merren curated the exhibition BIAS BINDING - Women’s Art Register 1975 - 1995 (National Gallery of Victoria, 1995), which included my painting St Martha, the Patron Saint of Housewives. The exhibition and my connection to W.A.R. led directly and indirectly to several unforeseen opportunities, as well as friendships that continue to this day. 

Women’s Art Register now represents over 5000 Australian-based women. 

Congratulations to W.A.R. on 50 years of operation. Thank you for your tireless efforts in giving women artists a voice, for preserving their legacy and for your continuing vigilance. 

The event was hosted by Creative Ballarat.

Ballarat Heritage Festival 2025

Selected highlights from the final two days of the Ballarat Heritage Festival on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25.  

Predominantly featured are local legends, the Ballarat People Who Promenade, of which, by virtue of a Royal Decree from HRH Queen Victoria (Megan Finlayson, pictured below, right) Shane Jones (pictured above) and I (pictured top) are loyal members. 

Incidentally, my fine designer hat, which dates from the 1940s, was inherited from my late aunt, Ballarat-born Eileen Klein. The fob watch pinned to my coat (not clearly shown in most photos) belonged to my aunt too. Shane’s antique walking stick was also passed down from the Klein family. Very possibly it was originally purchased in Ballarat.

Traditionally the Promenaders meet at the statue of Queen Victoria in Sturt Street. There we toast Her Royal Highness on the occasion of her birthday, which falls on May 24. This year she turned 206. Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria!

From here we promenaded to the Old Colonists Club for afternoon tea, followed by a leisurely stroll to Ballarat Railway Station, a short walk away.

Thank you, HRH Megan and Stationmaster Bryan Putt for inviting us to join your merry band. We had a ball and can’t wait to do it again next year.