Jennifer Higgie on Clarice Beckett

Australian Women ArtistsThe PodcastEpisode 4Jennifer Higgie on Clarice BeckettJennifer Higgie is an internationally respected arts writer and art historian who has lived and worked in London for many years.  She is a novelist, screenwriter, art critic and former editor of the London-based contemporary arts magazine Frieze. She was the presenter of Bow Down, a podcast about women in art history, and has just published Season 2 of Artist’s Artists - the podcast she hosts for the National Gallery of Australia.  Her latest books are The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World; and The Mirror and the Palette: 500 Years of Women’s Self-Portraits. Her own life is worthy of its own podcast for Australian Women Artists, but she is my guest today and joins me at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, to discuss the incredible Australian artist, Clarice Beckett.  I think it would be fair to say Clarice Beckett is one of the most original artists of early twentieth-century Australia. She is known for her innovative use of colour and tone and light to create quite an incredible atmosphere in which the subject matter of a painting exists. This ‘tonalism’ was controversial and criticised, but she persisted and soon became its greatest exponent surpassing, many say, her outspoken teacher Max Meldrum. But, as you will probably come to appreciate with these artists in history, Clarice was very much underappreciated in her lifetime and, after her death she was largely forgotten until an incredibly fortunate and lucky set of circumstances led to her rediscovery. It’s an amazing story and one that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.   Head to the link in my bio for my podcast conversation with Jennifer Higgie on the incredible Clarice Beckett.Jennifer's books, including  The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World; and The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution and Resistance: 500 Years of Women’s Self-Portraits can be found at the following link: https://www.jenniferhiggie.com/books-publications