Guy Grey-Smith Early Works

22 November - 1 December 2013

EARLY PAINTINGS AND WATERCOLOURS


An important figure in the modernist movement in Australia in the late 1940’s – 1970’s, Guy Grey-Smith (1916 – 1981) had a far reaching influence on artists, students, craftspeople and designers. Studying at Chelsea College of The Arts in London after the Second World War during which he served as a pilot, was shot down and became a prisoner of war, he returned to Western Australia in the late 1940s and practiced as an artist and ceramicist and occasional art teacher. His first studio was in Darlington and later in the 1970s he and his wife, artist and designer Helen Grey-Smith, moved to Pemberton amongst the forests of the south west of Western Australia. Guy and Helen travelled extensively within Western Australia responding to the landscape and its flora through modernist art works that set the benchmark for contemporary art in Perth for over 25 years. The subject of numerous exhibitions throughout Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia will present a major retrospective and catalogue of his work in March 2014.

The very early works in this exhibition are offered for sale by the family of Guy Grey-Smith and present a unique opportunity to acquire
important works not previously seen. The exhibition includes significant oil paintings, 16 beautiful watercolours and pen on paper works, mainly from the late1940’s and early 50’s, including works executed during, immediately before and after his time spent at art school in England.