Charles Blackman is one of the most beloved Australian artists. His works are pensive meditations on human condition couched in the visually disarming vocabulary of a dream-like state. Many of his works, especially those from the ‘Schoolgirls’ and ‘Alice’ series, have entered the Australian vernacular and are considered to be among the most iconic images of Australian art. His works have been a subject of curated survey exhibitions and scholarly monographs, while his importance to the Australian cultural landscape has been recognised by representative holding of his works in all national and state galleries, and significant regional and tertiary collections.

Dressed in nappies and seated astride on a dolphin, ‘Dolphin Boy’ is a portrait of Charles Blackman's youngest child, Axiom. The figure of the dolphin, partially inspired by graffiti near the Crown Street Press studios, had become central to the iconography of the artist's Sydney period. The design of the etching, disarming in its simplicity, is a pure celebration of parenthood and encapsulation of childlike innocence. The brevity of line and the delicacy of the cyan-toned tinting demonstrate the artist’s proficiency of the print medium.

This rare print, produced by the artist with the Crown Street Press, is a valuable addition to budding collectors and connoisseurs of Charles Blackman's works alike.
 

Charles BLACKMAN (1928 - 2018)
'Dolphin Boy' 1998
etching on paper
Edition of 50
Image Size: 15 x 20 cm
Framed Size: 57 x 48 cm
Signed: signed CHARLES BLACKMAN in margin Dolphin Boy
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Hard ground, soft ground and aquatint etching printed on 100% cotton French paper 300 grams

Condition: Excellent and beautifully framed 

© Charles Blackman / Copyright Agency 2023