When reflecting on her practice, Cressida Campbell cites Edgar Degas’s maxim that you should never paint anything you don’t love – “it doesn’t have to be beautiful in any way, but it has to be something you love to examine,” Campbell concludes.

In ‘Resting Butterfly’ she inspects a swallowtail butterfly. The regal creature rests on a leaf, its extravagant wings blinking, undisturbed by Campbells presence. The fruit of labour and time intensive processes, this work is the embodiment of patience – reminiscent of Japanese woodblock printing, Campbell’s friend Margaret Olley and the hazy bliss of a spring day, metamorphosis in the air.

A master in her field, Campbell is represented across national and international collections, including at the National Gallery of Victoria and British Museum. She has a devout collector following, is a multi-award winner and the subject of a major retrospective at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and National Gallery of Australia.

‘Resting Butterfly’ is a quiet revelation, born in Campbells belief “Art is the best way to restore one’s spirit."

Cressida CAMPBELL (1960 - )
'Resting Butterfly' 2006
Watercolour on incised woodblock
Image Size: 31 x 25 cm
Dimensions: 42 x 36 x 5 cm
Signed: Cressida Campbell lower left
Comes with Letter of Provenance
 
Condition: Very Good
 
© Cressida Campbell / Copyright Agency 2024