Norman Lindsay, Aussie Artist

Posted by Adrian VanDerkraan on December 28th 2010 | 0 Comments

Tags: Museum

Your New Year’s resolutions might include expanding your world view with more travel. For those of you who can’t head down under, here’s another installment of “Adrian’s Art and About,” for armchair travelers.

Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum, New South Wales, Australia

A highlight of our recent trip to Australia was our stop at the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum, at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains, about one hour to the west of Sydney. Artist Norman Lindsay (1879-1969) worked for the “Bulletin” (similar to “Time” magazine), drawing editorial / political cartoons in an association that lasted almost to his death.

Norman Lindsay drawing

By the 1920s, Lindsay was both proficient and prolific in pen-and-ink drawing, etching, woodcuts, watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, marble and brass sculpture, and modelmaking. My wife and I were amazed by his detail of anatomy, his painstakingly built model ships, his bold colors and his sometimes dreamy, nightmarish, often erotic, scenarios.

Lindsay was a colorful figure. He rejected Christianity and his art depicts Bohemianism and Arcadian pantheism madly enmeshed in a fantasy world. He had his detractors who deemed his work blasphemous; in 1930 his novel “Redheap” was banned and the following year the police proceeded against an issue of Art and Australia that showcased his art. Today, however, Lindsay artworks are prized by collectors

Norman Lindsay Gallery, New South Wales, Australia

The Lindsay family home, now the gallery and museum, is housed on magnificent landscaped grounds and maintained by the National Trust. The sprawling estate includes many fountains and sculptures created by Norman. Visitors can view Lindsay’s etching studio and portrait study annex, and stop in the delightful cafe.

Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding

For me, this gallery holds special meaning because I worked on the animated feature film “The Magic Pudding” based on a classic children’s book (about food!) that Lindsay wrote in 1918. Lindsay’s wonderful words were transposed to film in 2000. Albert, the loyal but cranky character, is still just as popular with today’s younger generation who delight in Albert’s frenzied efforts to escape the “Puddin’ Thieves.” “The Magic Pudding” is probably the last fully hand-drawn animation film and comprises over 300,000 individual drawings. Imagine!