Shoalhaven River with Black Cockatoo c1980

ARTHUR BOYD (1920-1999)

Shoalhaven River with Black Cockatoo c1980

oil on canvas
122.5 x 91.5 cm; 129.5 x 98.5 cm (framed)
signed lower right: Arthur Boyd

Provenance:
Gould Galleries, Melbourne
Acquired from the above, private collection, Melbourne, 26 October 1985
Thence by descent, private collection, Melbourne

Estimate: $120000 - 160000

Result Hammer: $190000

Arthur Boyd first visited Bundanon in 1972 whilst undertaking a Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University. He was invited by gallerist Frank McDonald and, during his two week stay, became fascinated by the unique natural beauty of the area. The property and historic sandstone homestead are located on a bend of the Shoalhaven River with views towards Pulpit Rock. In Dharawal, the word Bundanon means ‘deep valley’ – when standing on the banks of the river at Bundanon, one can appreciate the sense of envelopment provided by the densely forested surrounding hills. It was this heightened awareness of being within the landscape which Boyd found magnetic, affirming his deep and lasting connection to the area.

After the lush, green landscapes of England which Boyd had become accustomed to, his return to Australia was a difficult acclimatisation for the artist. The heat, the intense light and the harshness of the landscape came as a shock both physically and psychologically. Boyd initially struggled with interpreting the alien landscape of the Shoalhaven, ‘I had done fields before, but I had never touched or seen such rugged terrain. When I first saw the Shoalhaven, it was so foreign that I didn’t know how to treat it.’1 The following year, the Boyds returned to England where the artist continued to paint the imagery of the Shoalhaven from his North London studio, recalling the topography from memory. Boyd produced 37 small, finely detailed works on copper and through this process, he began to better understand the mood and atmosphere of the strange world he had discovered at Bundanon. Boyd had created a new visual language to depict the untamed Australian bush which would become the characteristic sky, land and water compositions of the Shoalhaven oeuvre.

The Boyds returned to Australia in 1974 after purchasing Riversdale, another property on the Shoalhaven River, and plans were soon underway to build a new home and studio. While the construction took place, the Boyds lived at the neighbouring property, Eearie Park. During this time, the artist was able to explore the surrounding area and confirm his first impressions of the place. He and Yvonne would drive down deserted roads and criss-cross the bush finding hidden creeks and waterfalls – ‘he walked and painted each day, taking delight in the new terrain, the new vegetation and the new visual surprises’.2 It was a happy and productive time for Boyd, who worked steadily on sketches, studies and oils, recording the landscape in its many different states. Living and working on the property, Boyd became aware that whilst there was abundant beauty to be observed in nature, its forces could also be fatal. The artist experienced his first flood in 1975 which caused the family to become marooned. The experience was intense, the Boyds were cut-off from the local town for several days and witnessed the destruction caused by the rising water, ‘the river moans and groans in a muted way, and great chunks of what was upstream comes down – dead cattle with their legs sticking up, logs and roof tops. Once a whole house came down the river.’3

Shoalhaven Landscape with Black Cockatoo belongs to a series of works from the early 1980s and references a flood episode which caused the death of a neighbour’s child’s horse, Flame. In the present work, Boyd has painted a serene Shoalhaven scene - a bright blue sky, white clouds and a scrubby hillside of gum trees and boulders that are reflected in the still waters of the river. The green form that appears on the horizon represents the pony’s blanket, a reminder of the tragedy caused by the powerful and unpredictable forces of nature. The black cockatoo is a symbol of the cycle of life and death which continues indefinitely, long after the flood waters recede. As Sandra McGrath notes, ‘the moral cannot be misinterpreted; the Australian landscape, despite its superficial placidity and serenity, is always ready and waiting to claim a victim’.4

In 1979, Bundanon was added to Arthur and Yvonne Boyd’s land holdings, they subsequently became the largest landowners in the Shoalhaven region. Previous owner, Frank McDonald, had a vision for Bundanon to become an artistic retreat but was unsuccessful in persuading the State Government to acquire the property, eventually selling it to the Boyds for $300,000. In 1988, the same year that Boyd represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, discussions began anew with Federal Arts Minister, Clyde Holding, regarding the gifting of Bundanon to the people of Australia. Five years later, the Australian Government confirmed the acceptance of the Boyd’s gift of Bundanon and in 1995 Arthur Boyd was announced Australian of the Year for his contribution to Australian art. Today, Bundanon represents one of the most significant acts of philanthropy in the history of the arts in Australia and remains a thriving cultural institution for artistic enjoyment.

Footnotes

1. McGrath, S., The Artist and the River: Arthur Boyd and the Shoalhaven, Bay Books, Sydney, 1982, p.108
2. Ibid., p.56
3. Ibid., p.58
4. Ibid., p.60

Caroline Jones
Caroline Jones has worked in the visual arts industry for more than 15 years, as an auction house art specialist and commercial gallery manager. She currently works as an independent art consultant specialising in art valuation, research, writing, collection management and curatorial services.

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