B. 1914 – 1999 

Albert Tucker is considered one of Australia’s most important twentieth century artists, deploying an uncompromising modernist approach to interrogate and re-mythologise the Australian landscape. Largely self-taught, Tucker attended evening classes at the Victorian Artists Society and enrolled for a term at the George Bell school. In 1938 he participated in the Contemporary Art Society’s inaugural exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia. 

Tucker’s work carries an array of influences. He was inspired by Yosl Bergner and Danila Vassilieff, the international art movements of surrealism, social realism and expressionism, as well as the writings of TS Eliot and George Orwell. Alongside this, Tucker was a member of the Heide Circle, married to fellow artist Joy Hester, and an Angry Penguin. 

Producing harsh, psychological and excoriating images of the Australian landscape, war and contemporary life, Tucker’s perspective was bracing. On his contributions to the Australian imagination, he reflected:

“I remember my Australian theme started properly only after I’d been away in Europe for five years. The Australian images started forcing themselves on me, and I couldn’t do anything about it… Later the human factor became involved, and that’s when I started my explorer figure. Now the land and the figure merge easily into one genuine Australian image.”

To read a more in-depth biography of the artist, click here.