Cedric Flower

Although he described himself as a ‘primitive’ artist Cedric Flower was anything but. Flower’s talents included illustration, theatre design, play writing, cartooning, Australian history, painting and drawing. He held two exhibitions here in Newcastle at the von Bertouch Galleries in 1966 and 1970, among these exhibits were drawings of Newcastle focussing on the city’s architecture and streetscapes. This new acquisition, acquired from the former BHP collection, takes Newcastle harbour as its main subject. The expanse of cyan blue (painted with a large loaded brush dragged down the surface) is contained by busy industry in the background and Customs House in the foreground. Flower’s experience in stage design is evident in his framing of the composition but there is nothing static about this painting - his observations of the city are loaded with charm and energy. This painting is a significant addition to the Gallery’s collection of works of art that depict the city of Newcastle, its distinctive coastline and harbour.