“My approach to painting from the beginning right through to 1941 [was] very consistent. Landscapes and portraits predominated, and the influence of the home environment…prevailed.” - Arthur Boyd, from transcript of interview with Grazia Gunn at Bundanon, April 1981
Inheritance is a celebration of Arthur Boyd’s seminal influences: his family. This exhibition showcases the work of Arthur’s grandparents Arthur Merric (senior) and Emma Minnie Boyd, and his parents Merric and Doris Boyd; a further look at their work and influence touched upon in the current touring exhibition Arthur Boyd: Landscape of the Soul.
Arthur’s earliest period of creative endeavor was strongly influenced by these few close family members who laid a foundation of basic values regarding arts practice that guided the shaping of his personal style. This was especially so in the areas of painting and ceramics through which he focused on landscapes and portraits.
Bundanon Trust is richly endowed with works by all four, who were highly competent artists in their own right. The selection here provides a glimpse of their impact. As a young painter Arthur absorbed their skills and sensibilities and made them his own. In particular, synergy with the work of his parents is a telling component that would course through every future stage of his vision.
Image: Doris Boyd with daughter Lucy, mother Evelyn Gough, and baby Arthur, 1920. Bundanon Trust Archive.
