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Joy Hester 1920-1960
a prominent Australian artist, the significance of her artwork
is her immediacy and working mainly with ink on paper. Hester
was often the only female artist represented during late 1930's
to 1960 with the modern art movement in Melbourne. Joy Hester
is now an influential and substantial artist in Australia 40 years
after her death.
"In their reconfiguration
- indeed disconfiguration - of the human body, they proved a catalyst
for one of the most significant shifts in Australian visual history."
Denise Mimmocchi 2004(1)
Joy was a participant in
Contemporary Art Society [CAS] established with Tucker, Hester
and others in 1938. CAS has held annual exhibitions from 1939
onwards. Joys colleagues were Vassilieff, Nolan, Percival, the
Boyd's, Douglas, Tucker (1st husband), Mora, the Blackman's, Smith
(2nd husband),Bergner and many more.
Joy and Albert (Tucker)
from 1938 to 1947 had a relationship which was both freeing and
restricting for their art practices and relationship. Albert an
established artist introduces Joy to the Melbourne art patrons
John and Sunday Reed.
During the late 30's to
50's modern artists had small incomes. Artists like Sydney Nolan,
Albert Tucker, Joy Hester and Gray Smith, to name but a few received
a stipend, from the Reeds, to assist their art practice. From
reading their correspondence (State library Victoria) Joy had
a deep relationship with both the Reeds.
Joy Hester, with incurable
Hodgkin disease, and Gray Smith (artist), with chronic grand mal
epileptic seizures formed a strong union and bond. This relationship
(1947-1960), often isolated, facilitated their support of each
others' art practice. Joy experienced her most prolific time as
an artist during this time. From 1947-1960 Joy participated in
five group shows with the Contemporary Art Society and three solo
exhibitions .
References
(1)The art of Joy Hester 'In defence of the Unwritten History"
by Denise Mimmocchi 2004. Woman's art Journal. Fall 2004/Winter
2005- Volume 25, No.2 Published by Woman's art Inc.
"leave no space for yearning - The Art of Joy Hester"
- Kelly Gellatly - Published Heide Museum of Modern Art - 2001
"Joy Hester" Janine Burke - Published Greenhouse -1983
Smith Estate Private collection
Artwork images sourced from ' leave no space for yearning' 2001
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