Geolocation
and the landscapes of Derwent Lees
Join Peter Davies in the hunt for the lost landscapes of Tasmanian-born artist Derwent Lees (1884–1931). Lees’s biography, published last year by Tasmanian archivist and researcher Lynn Davies, contains a catalogue raisonné of over 450 works. As contributor to this team research effort, retired ecological scientist Peter Davies will talk about ‘geolocating’ the scenes of Lees’s over 280 landscapes.
Lees, successful in the early British Modern Art world, features in major public collections in the UK, Australia, USA and Canada, such as the V&A, Tate, NGV, NGA and locally, at Mona. He exhibited only a quarter of his works, with many untitled paintings sold by his wife after his early death following 13 years in psychiatric hospitals. Dealers have invented many spurious titles, confounding his story.
Peter will explain the challenges and excitement of ‘ground truthing’ his landscapes, an effort crucial to rediscovering this.
Friends members $25, non-members $30
includes refreshments
