Margaret preston's legacy
Margaret Preston was one of the first female modernist painter, she used many styles and techniques which are studied by many students and used by many artists. Her early artworks were of etchings produced in London. She also used mediums such as decorative wood cuts, masonite cuts, stencil cuts, Lino prints and many more.
She is also known for the way Aboriginals and there art inspired her work. Her work has a very distinct Australian feel and she paints using Australian symbols, such as, Australian landscapes, flowers and plants, and buildings. The bush flowers and landscapes reflect on her life in Berowra. Her Artwork can also be used like photographic sources to the people of today as they show what it was like during that time.
Margaret Preston’s painting “Flapper” (top left) is a portrait that provides no background or context for the subject. The quirky feather in the hat and the slightly raised upper hand suggest some life and movement, however, the figure appears to be cut out of dark tartan material, quite flat and static. he lines of the palette create a pattern of horizontals and tapered verticals rather than following the contours of the body beneath. This interest in flattening the form possibly demonstrates Preston’s familiarity with post impressionist and cubist aesthetics. Many Artist still use this technique today.
She was in a time when most female painters were from the upper class but she was from distinctly humble origins. She gained a major part of her schooling with scholarships and through earning money by teaching.She is a very inspirational woman, and is remembered today for her amazing artworks and her technique and her name will live on forever. She inspires many Australians and reminds us that if we have a dream that we should follow it and try as hard as we can to reach our goals and never give up.
She is also known for the way Aboriginals and there art inspired her work. Her work has a very distinct Australian feel and she paints using Australian symbols, such as, Australian landscapes, flowers and plants, and buildings. The bush flowers and landscapes reflect on her life in Berowra. Her Artwork can also be used like photographic sources to the people of today as they show what it was like during that time.
Margaret Preston’s painting “Flapper” (top left) is a portrait that provides no background or context for the subject. The quirky feather in the hat and the slightly raised upper hand suggest some life and movement, however, the figure appears to be cut out of dark tartan material, quite flat and static. he lines of the palette create a pattern of horizontals and tapered verticals rather than following the contours of the body beneath. This interest in flattening the form possibly demonstrates Preston’s familiarity with post impressionist and cubist aesthetics. Many Artist still use this technique today.
She was in a time when most female painters were from the upper class but she was from distinctly humble origins. She gained a major part of her schooling with scholarships and through earning money by teaching.She is a very inspirational woman, and is remembered today for her amazing artworks and her technique and her name will live on forever. She inspires many Australians and reminds us that if we have a dream that we should follow it and try as hard as we can to reach our goals and never give up.