William Robinson is not widely recognised for depicting the human form in art, but one figure is central to his practice and represents the most consistent and prominent subject in his oeuvre: his wife, Shirley Robinson (née Rees, 1936–2022). In this exhibition, over fifty artworks illustrate Robinson’s enduring love for Shirley, spanning the interior works of the 1970s, the farmyards of the 1980s, lithographs produced in the 1990s and early 2000s, and recent still life paintings as well as ceramics and a series of lithographs produced from their trips to Paris. These artworks are not only visual meditations on the environment in which the artist lives; rather, they pay homage to the broader rhythms of life, nature and love – but, most importantly, to Shirley.
William Robinson, Untitled (ceramic) 1995, glazed stoneware bowl, wheel thrown by Errol Barnes. Private collection, Brisbane. Courtesy the artist and William Robinson Gallery, Queensland
William Robinson, Farmyard 21 (Heading off), 2015, gouache. Private collection, Brisbane. Courtesy the artist and William Robinson Gallery, Queensland
William Robinson Gallery
27 September 2022 to 10 September 2023
Queensland
