Dated 1967, this collage by Anne Marie Hall is a microcosm of her milieu. Present are photographs of Andrew Sibley and his wife, Irena, Mirka Mora and Hall herself, staring directly at the viewer beneath a blonde fringe. Hall came of age in the Heide circle — an enclave of bohemian artists at the heart of Australian modernism.

Collage has been used by modernist artists to bring the world into unexpected combinations, play with perspective and meld fantasy and reality. In a room bleeding plumes of plum and indigo, Hall stitches together her friends with surrealist motifs, suggesting that how we construct ourselves is a matter of make-believe, who surrounds us and the room we build for ourselves.

Like Joy Hester and Mirka Mora, Hall forged a compelling female voice in an otherwise male dominated space. Now, collected by The National Gallery of Australia, the Ian Potter Museum and Geelong Gallery, her absence is being redressed.

For collectors of Modernist Australian art and those searching for a unique insight into the Antipodean movement, this is an intriguing find.

Anne Marie HALL (1945 - )
'Portrait of Anne Hall, Andrew and Irena Sibley, and Mirka Mora' 1967
mixed media on paper
Image Size: 27 x 24 cm
Framed Dimensions: 40 x 37 x 4 cm
Signed: Signed and dated lower right
 
Condition: Good: Describes the average used work of art, where the image is in good condition. The margin may need to be framed out due to markings, corner wear, dog ear, small tears or if framed, the frame may have minor damage
 
© The Artist or Assignee