Albert Tucker: Marking the Past · Prisoner) c.1942 pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011 4 Untitled (Man in profile) c.1942 pencil on paper Tucker 2011

Albert Tucker: Marking the Past

29 February to 16 August 2020 Albert & Barbara Tucker Gallery Curator: Lili Belle Birchall

Albert TuckerMourning Disciples 1955oil on composition board78.5 x 127 cmHeide Museum of Modern ArtDonated through the Australian Cultural Gifts Program by Barbara Tucker 2015Courtesy of Smith & Singer Fine Art© Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation

Supported by

In 1952 Albert Tucker travelled to Italy and embarked on a new chapter in his artistic practice. He had left Australia for Europe in 1947, however, it was only after he settled in the quaint seaside town of Noli on the Italian Riviera that he moved away from the expressive urban imagery that had dominated his work throughout the 1940s and early 1950s. Inspired by early Christian and Renaissance art he began to paint biblical narratives about resurrection, rebirth and overcoming adversity. Years later Tucker realised he had subconsciously linked the wounded figures of Christ, martyrs and saints that he observed in Italian churches to memories of his time documenting injured and traumatised soliders in the plastic surgery ward at Heidelberg Military Hospital during World War II.

Tucker’s Italian period was a time of self-discovery and regeneration. His exploration of the spiritual, physical and psychological wounds of the human condition led him to reflect on the rugged Australian landscape, and lay the foundations of his now iconic Explorers and Antipodean Head series. Building up figures with a sense of the texture and cracks of the eroded landscape, he aspired to create an archetype that was both human and Christ-like. Through this process, Tucker observed he was ‘unloading the demons’, and creating personal metaphors for fortitude and sorrow. This is an underlying theme of Marking the Past, which brings together and draws connections between four distinct but related bodies of Tucker’s work.

Heide Museum of Modern Art Albert Tucker: Marking the Past page 2 of 4

Albert Tucker born 1914 Melbourne;died 1999 Melbourne

Untitled (Head study) c.1942pastel on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Figure in chair) c.1942paster and charcoal on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Hospital scene) c.1942brush, ink and pencil on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Study for painting Death of an Aviator) c.1942pencil on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Sleeping soldier) c.1942pen, ink and pencil on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Man in uniform) c.1942pen, ink and gouache on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Study for painting The Prisoner) c.1942pencil on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Untitled (Man in profile) c.1942pencil on paperAlbert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

Emaciated Head (Untitled Head) 1943pastel on paper13.5 x 17.6 cmOn long-term loan from the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation

List of works

This catalogue is arranged alphabetically by artist then chronologically. Measurements are height before width before depth.

System ID: 14021 Albert Tucker Untitled (Sleeping soldier) c. 1942 pen, ink and pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 14022 Albert Tucker Untitled (Man in uniform) c. 1942 pen, ink and gouache on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 14023 Albert Tucker Untitled (Study for painting The Prisoner) c. 1942 pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 14024 Albert Tucker Untitled (Man in profile) c. 1942 pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011













System ID: 13953 Albert Tucker Untitled (Head study) c. 1942 pastel on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 13954 Albert Tucker Untitled (Figure in chair) c. 1942 paster and charcoal on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 13955 Albert Tucker Untitled (Hospital scene) c. 1942 brush, ink and pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011

System ID: 14020 Albert Tucker Untitled (Study for painting Death of an Aviator) c. 1942 pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011













2000.312 System ID: 1354 Albert Tucker Emaciated Head (Untitled Head) 1943 pastel on paper 13.5 x 17.6 cm On long-term loan from the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation

System ID: 13700 Albert Tucker Betrayal 1952 oil on composition board 61 x 136 cm cm Private collection, Melbourne

System ID: 5656 Albert Tucker Attack of the Beast 1953-1955 oil on canvas 100 x 73 cm Private collection, Sydney

System ID: 5660 Albert Tucker Absalom 1953 oil on board 55 x 70 cm Private collection, courtesy of Smith & Singer Fine Art


Betrayal 1952oil on composition board61 x 136 cm cmPrivate collection, Melbourne

Attack of the Beast 1953–1955–1986oil on canvas100 x 73 cmPrivate collection, Sydney

Absalom 1953oil on board55 x 70 cmPrivate collection, courtesy of Smith & Singer Fine Art

Job 1953oil on board70 x 55.5 cmDonated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Barbara Tucker 2015

Entombment 1954oil on composition board63 x 93 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

Ikon 1954PVA on compostion board35 x 25 cmOn long-term loan from the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation

Wounded Man 1955oil on composition board81 x 61 cmPrivate collection, courtesy of Smith & Singer Fine Art

Mourning Disciples 1955oil on composition board78.5 x 127 cmDonated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Barbara Tucker 2015

Ayers Rock (previously titled Wounded Mountain) 1955oil on composition board66 x 131 cmGift of Barbara Tucker 2008













2000.277 System ID: 1320 Albert Tucker Job 1953 oil on board 70 x 55.5 cm Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Barbara Tucker 2015

System ID: 5654 Albert Tucker Entombment 1954 oil on composition board 63 x 93 cm Albert & Barara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

2000.364 System ID: 1400 Albert Tucker Ikon 1954 PVA on compostion board 35 x 25 cm On long-term loan from the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation

System ID: 5659 Albert Tucker Wounded Man 1955 oil on composition board 81 x 61 cm Private collection, courtesy of Smith & Singer Fine Art













2000.274 System ID: 1317 Albert Tucker Mourning Disciples 1955 oil on composition board 78.5 x 127 cm Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Barbara Tucker 2015

2000.315 System ID: 1356 Albert Tucker Wounded Mountain 1955 oil on composition board 66 x 131 cm Gift of Barbara Tucker 2008

System ID: 5658 Albert Tucker Wounded Landscape 1958 synthetic polymer paint on composition board 90 x 121 cm Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

System ID: 13694 Albert Tucker Surrender 1958 oil on canvas 76.5 x 45 cm Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne






Wounded Landscape 1958synthetic polymer paint on composition board90 x 121 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

Surrender 1958oil on canvas76.5 x 45 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

Figure 1958oil, sand and PVA on composition board129 x 95 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

Wounded Man 1958synthetic polymerpaint and cement on composition board91.5 x 122 cmCourtesy of Gould Creative, Melbourne

Armoured Bushranger 1958synthetic polymer paint and PVA on composition board122 x 91.5 cmBequest of John and Sunday Reed 1982

Cratered Head 1958-1960synthetic polymer paint on composition board122 x 101 cmGift of the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation 2019

Lunar Landscape 1959synthetic polymer paint on composition board101 x 123 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

Surrender at Glenrowan 1959synthetic polymer paint, PVA and oil on canvas156 x 122 cmGift of Barbara Tucker 2005

Explorer 1987synthetic polymer paint on composition board91 x 91 cmAlbert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne









System ID: 13695 Albert Tucker Figure 1958 oil, sand and PVA on composition board 129 x 95 cm Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

System ID: 13701 Albert Tucker Wounded Man 1958 synthetic polymerpaint and cement on composition board 91.5 x 122 cm Courtesy of Gould Creative, Melbourne

1982.353 System ID: 449 Albert Tucker Armoured Bushranger 1958 synthetic polymer paint and PVA on composition board 122 x 91.5 cm Bequest of John and Sunday Reed 1982

2019.103 System ID: 1359 Albert Tucker Cratered Head 1958-1960 synthetic polymer paint on composition board 122 x 101 cm Gift of the Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation 2019













System ID: 13140 Albert Tucker Lunar Landscape 1959 synthetic polymer paint on composition board 101 x 123 cm Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne

2000.238 System ID: 1281 Albert Tucker Surrender at Glenrowan 1959 synthetic polymer paint, PVA and oil on canvas 156 x 122 cm Gift of Barbara Tucker 2005

System ID: 13697 Albert Tucker Explorer 1987 synthetic polymer paint on composition board 91 x 91 cm Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation, Melbourne







Documents

Albert Tucker: Marking the Past · Prisoner) c.1942 pencil on paper Albert Tucker Archive Gift of Barbara Tucker 2011 4 Untitled (Man in profile) c.1942 pencil on paper Tucker 2011