Susan Dorothea White Bibliography
50 years of Susan Dorothea White
by Heike Hahner
SINCE OPENING in 2005, Braidwood’s boutique FyreGallery has specialised in works on paper and textiles. It provides a venue for artists who are frequently overlooked by mainstream art galleries, which generally prefer to focus on painting, sculpture or ceramics. The current show celebrates 50 years of the work of Susan Dorothea White with a unique survey of her prints from 1960–2010. White, born in 1941, is an Australian artist who has created as a sculptor, painter and printmaker. The Braidwood show is the first time that prints from all decades of her career will be shown together. It offers an opportunity to gain a better understanding of this exceptional Australian artist. White’s works mostly are concerned with social and political issues such as women’s rights and Aboriginal land rights. Some prints such as Goose Camp Kakadu (shown above) are evocative of the work of Kaethe Kollwitz, a German artist who was greatly affected by the suffering of the workers during the Great Depression. White has said she enjoys the printmaking process, the freedom and versatility it provides, and will layer up to 15 colours. This gives the images a rich density and beauty, that contrasts and highlights the harshness of the topics she portrays. Since the 1980s, White’s prints have represented Australia in many international biennales and exhibitions in countries such as the UK, USA, France and Germany. The National Gallery of Australia collection holds many of her prints from 1960 onwards.
Art quilt prize
The exhibition will coincide with the Annual Airing of the Quilts in Braidwood. To celebrate the event, FyreGallery is offering a $1,000 acquisition prize for an art quilt that specifically celebrates the work of Susan Dorothea White. Suitable quilts of any size submitted to the Braidwood Quilt Event in 2010 can nominate for the FyreGallery 2010 “Magic Pudding” Art Quilt Prize.
Exhibition: 12 November to 20 December, FyreGallery, 84 Wallace St, Braidwood
Work cited:
woodcut (hand-coloured)
Collection: National Gallery of Australia