Leon Lopata Fine Art Advice and Placement

Case Study #1 : Blackman

Mirka Mora Estate

In March 2019, I attended with my client a sale of art and other effects from the estate of Mirka Mora.

A seminal figure in the Australian art world, Mirka Mora, was an artist of significance. She counted among her friends and acquaintances some of the painters, poets and musicians who contributed to the pivotal art movements of post war Australia — Sidney Nolan, Joy Hester, John Perceval and Charles Blackman — just to name a few.

My client was looking for an artwork to grace the waiting room of her newly built medical practice and had a keen interest in the art works of both Mirka Mora and Charles Blackman.

Good quality works by Charles Blackman are hard to come-by at the right price so snagging one at this sale would be tricky.

Our Lot #

It was not long before we found a piece by Charles Blackman that resonated with us both.

Depicting a girl in a landscape in reds, purples and yellows, it was typical of Blackman’s style and subject matter. It was ideal for the medical practice.

It was, however, unsigned, very dirty and extremely damaged. Most perplexing was a series of random nail holes through the surface and near the edge of the board (fig.1).

In addition, the catalogue entry was somewhat confusing. It read, ‘CHARLES BLACKMAN, Untitled c.1954 oil on board, unsigned…In 1954, Mirka’s Studio held an exhibition “Blackman Painting”, 2-11 November 1954 with thirty works. The two artists often gave one another works as gifts.’

Auction Houses

It is understandable that when putting together sales, auction houses like this one, with almost 400 lots, do not have the time to undertake thorough research on every item. This is especially the case when an item has an estimate of less than $20,000.

It turns out that the damage and uncertainty was too much to handle for other collectors, as on the day of the sale, this lot failed to reach its reserve price.

I quickly began negotiations and after a day or two, secured the painting for my client. The deal with the auction house was done ensuring that the final price would be well below the threshold amount allowing my client to claim the full tax benefits of this purchase from the government’s instant tax write off scheme for small business.

Dates debunked

As part of my service, I undertook some research to determine if 1954 was the accurate date for the work’s creation, as it was my suspicion it was not.

If the original date suggested by the catalogue was correct, it would place this work’s creation during Blackman’s most prolific and historically significant periods. The first was the 'School Girls’ series (1953)[i], then the 'Hoarding' series (1954)[ii], the five months in the Emerald Avonsleigh, followed by Mt. Tamborine areas (1954) and finally the commencement of the 'Alice in Wonderland' series (1956/7)[iii].

In the interviews compiled by Thomas Snapcott, Charles Blackman is quoted as saying that on his return from Queensland (Mt Tamborine), he exhibited works on paper of moonlit landscapes at a CAS show 1954/1955[iv].

9 Collins Street

The studio/gallery established by Mirka and George Mora at 9 Collins Street Melbourne was the venue for exhibitions put on by the newly established Contemporary Art Society, of which the Moras and Blackmans were keen supporters and contributors[v].

In a Snapcott interview from 1955, Blackman said that while at Mt Tamborine, he produced two pictures a day for six weeks forming a large body for work of which only a few were exhibited in Melbourne[vi].

My opinion was that contrary to the catalogue entry, ‘our’ Blackman was not one of the works produced by Blackman and exhibited in November 1954.

Restoration Question?

Having established that the painting was not likely to have been made in 1954, I continued my research, looking for some guidance about how best to restore it— or if it should be restored at all.

It was agreed that at least, the work needed a good clean, something every painting requires after 50 years or so. This led me to engage the services of expert restorer and conservator Dr. Sabine Cotte.

The question remained however, how did those holes come to be, who had put them there and why?

My general attitude to restoration works is simple: do as little as possible and as much as necessary. However, when it comes to appreciating a work of art, aesthetics should also be a consideration.

Some additional questions needed to be asked, such as, how did the artist intend the work to appear and does the damage distract from the enjoyment of the work? Also, is the damage an integral part of the work’s history?

Looking for Clues

In order to begin answering some of these questions, more research was required.

First, it was important to look at the support of the painting. We had established earlier that Blackman was producing works on paper exhibited at the CAS exhibition at 9 Collins St in 1954.

This painting, however, looked to be on Masonite board (composition board), a commonly used material of the time.

Another clue came from examining the agreed provenance of the painting. We knew that it came directly from Mirka Mora’s studio, which among other places over the years, was at 9 Collins Street, Melbourne in the 1950s and 1960s, prior to its relocation to the Tolarno in St Kilda.

My research of the documentation placed the creation of ‘our’ artwork around 1960 between Blackman’s return to Melbourne from Brisbane and his departure for London after receiving the Helena Rubinstein scholarship.

The Suites Series

With this, I am suggesting that it is possible that this work was created and gifted to Mirka Mora by Charles Blackman as a thank you for the use of 9 Collins Street where, during an eight-week residence in 1960, he produced the 'Suites' series (1960)[vii].

The ‘Suites’, consisted of a series of large art works made up of smaller oil on board paintings, many of which were unsigned, much like ‘our’ Blackman. It’s possible that this painting was made by Blackman in 1960 to be included in a ‘Suite’, but for some reason he decided not to include it.

Instead, Blackman chose to give it to his friend Mirka Mora who retained it in her studio until her death in 2018.

The Question of the Holes?

On examination of one or two other paintings from the ‘Suites’ series (fig.2) and another made just prior in 1959, I couldn’t see any obvious evidence of how the smaller paintings were attached to the support that formed the groups (Suites).

But it seemed unlikely that Blackman’s intention was to have nail holes through the painting and further examination confirmed that the holes were sustained after the painting had been completed.

In consultation with the restorer and client, it was decided to remove the most distracting holes and over paint as required to remove the visible evidence of the damage without detracting from Blackman’s original composition (fig.3 & 4).

Two Theories

To date, I have two theories worth considering about how the work was damaged.

The first, and I think most likely, is that during the artistic process of grouping together the paintings that made up the ‘Suites’, Blackman fixed this painting down with nails or screws. He later changed his mind and removed the piece from the ensemble. By removing the painting from the group — in this instance, by pulling it away from the fixings, or possibly, by trying it multiple times in other groups or arrangements – he left the damage we observed at the sale (fig.3).

The other theory and less likely, is that Mirka Mora made the holes as a means of displaying the Blackman work. At some point, the work was taken down and sustained the damage as a result. Although reassured by William Mora that this was very unlikely, as ‘the two artists respected each other’s works’, at the Mirka Mora sale in 2019, I observed that some of her own works had similar damage.

Framing

Once the restoration had been completed, the final task was to frame and place the painting. My feeling was that the existing frame confined the work, my task was then to devise a concept that would lift it and allow the image to ‘pop’ without being too distracting.

Most importantly, I wanted the work to look more substantial and seem larger on the wall. It was also important to me to think about how Charles Blackman would have liked to see it framed.

Inspiration came from a photograph by Alex Poignant from circa 1967, showing Charles Blackman in front of his recent framed works in an exhibition at the Johnson Gallery, Brisbane.

I noticed the similarity between frames used at that time and those produced by Fred Williams when he was working as a framer in Melbourne.

With the assistance of the framer, I selected a ‘white’ painted moulding that would lift the painting off the wall but minimise its enclosure.

The wide flange of the frame would sit flat on the wall, pushing the painting forward, which would make the work appear larger in scale and unbound, as if floating.

A Valuable Conclusion

After many months of work from all involved, the painting is now safely hanging on a wall in the waiting room of my client’s medical practice.

The research I undertook on her behalf has significantly improved our understanding of how this small painting fits into Charles Blackman’s oeuvre.

My work as advisor has added to the value of this piece both intrinsically and historically.

The work is now enjoyed, without distraction and is finally back to its original splendour.

Although I am sure my client has no immediate plans to sell, this work, by one of last century’s most important Australian artists, has become a treasured asset.

Leon Lopata

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[i] https://www.heide.com.au/exhibitions/charles-blackman-schoolgirls

[ii] https://artsearch.nga.gov.au/detail.cfm?irn=99473

[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/feb/18/the-curious-world-of-australian-painter-charles-blackman-in-pictures

[iv] Artists in Queensland Tomas Shapcott focus on Charles Blackman, 1967 p29

[v] Mirka Mora, Wicked but Virtuous, My Life 2000/2002

[vi] Artists in Queensland Tomas Shapcott focus on Charles Blackman, 1967 p29

[vii] Artists in Queensland Tomas Shapcott focus on Charles Blackman, 1967 p46