Susie Raz
Copyright © Susie Raz 2024
On whose shoulders I stand
The under-representation of female artists in the art history books and art galleries of the world is the motivation behind the creation of this
series of self-portraits. Each self-portrait is a homage to a different female Australian artist of the 20
th
century who persisted despite the lack of
recognition and support of the male dominated culture. These women’s creativity, commitment, and courage have provided me with invaluable
role models, and inspire me to continue their work by walking the artistic path. This is a work in progress, there are 12 homages planned. Stay
tuned!
Homage to Grace
This self-portrait is a homage to Grace Crowley who chose to become a professional artist at a time when this was considered
highly unusual for a woman. She was a pioneer of modernism in a conservative and male dominated art world. The self-portrait
is based on Portrait of Lucie Beynis (1929) which Crowley completed while she was studying art in France. It is in the collection
of the Art Gallery of NSW.
Homage to Nora
Nora Heysen was the first female winner of the Archibald Prize. However, like so many other Australian female artists, Nora has
not been properly recognised for her contributions to Australian art. This work is based on Nora’s self-portrait completed in
1932. This painting hangs in the Art Gallery of NSW. A reproduction of the original is in the top left corner of my painting, and
the top right corner is a reproduction of an Alice painting by Charles Blackman, my greatest artistic inspiration. If you click on
the thumbnail picture you will see Nora’s self portrait.
Homage to Hilda
Whenever I mentioned to people that I was painting a self-portrait which is a tribute to the artist Hilda Rix Nicholas, they all
asked, “Who’s that?” Rix Nicholas’ work hung in the Paris Salon in 1911 alongside Arthur Streeton and George Bell and her
works were acquired by the French government in 1912 and in 1925. ‘La Robe Chinoise’, which is the inspiration for this work,
hangs in the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Homage to Lina
I only discovered Lina Bryans through doing this project. Yet, in the 1930’s, Lina’s “Pink Hotel” in Darebin on the outskirts of
Melbourne rivalled Sunday and John Reed’s art circle at Heide. Between 1937 and 1970, Lina painted 70 portraits of literary and
artistic friends thus forming a landscape of Melbourne’s cultural life. Included in these is the portrait of Jean Campbell, a
modernist author and playwright, which she titled ‘The Babe is Wise’ after the title of Jean’s recently published book. Both Lina
and Jean were free spirits, intellectuals, and well ahead of their time. .
Homage to Thea
This self-portrait, the fifth in my series, is my homage to Thea Proctor, a gifted draughtswoman, painter, printer and fashion icon.
Thea was the first female Australian artist to exhibit at the Venice Biennale in 1912. In her mid-fifties Thea gave up her studio in
George St, Sydney, and moved into a small ground floor flat with her mother in Double Bay. It was here that she painted Woman
in White, circa 1942, which is now in the collection of The Art Gallery of NSW, and which is the inspiration for this self-portrait.
On the wall behind the woman can be seen the bottom portion of the well-known portrait of Thea painted by her close friend
George Lambert when she was in her 20s. I have replaced this with the bottom portion of Woman in White.
Homage to Grace Cossington Smith
Homage to Clarice Beckett
Susie Raz
Copyright © Susie Raz 2024
On whose shoulders I
stand
The under-representation of female artists in the art history
books and art galleries of the world is the motivation behind
the creation of this series of self-portraits. Each self-portrait is
a homage to a different female Australian artist of the 20
th
century who persisted despite the lack of recognition and
support of the male dominated culture. These women’s
creativity, commitment, and courage have provided me with
invaluable role models, and inspire me to continue their work
by walking the artistic path. This is a work in progress, there
are 12 homages planned. Stay tuned!
Homage to Hilda
Whenever I mentioned to people that I was painting a self-
portrait which is a tribute to the artist Hilda Rix Nicholas,
they all asked, “Who’s that?” Rix Nicholas’ work hung in the
Paris Salon in 1911 alongside Arthur Streeton and George
Bell and her works were acquired by the French government
in 1912 and in 1925. ‘La Robe Chinoise’, which is the
inspiration for this work, hangs in the Art Gallery of Western
Australia.
Homage to Grace
This self-portrait is a homage to Grace Crowley who chose to
become a professional artist at a time when this was
considered highly unusual for a woman. She was a pioneer
of modernism in a conservative and male dominated art
world. The self-portrait is based on Portrait of Lucie Beynis
(1929) which Crowley completed while she was studying art
in France. It is in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW.
Homage to Nora
Nora Heysen was the first female winner of the Archibald
Prize. However, like so many other Australian female artists,
Nora has not been properly recognised for her contributions
to Australian art. This work is based on Nora’s self-portrait
completed in 1932. This painting hangs in the Art Gallery of
NSW. A reproduction of the original is in the top left corner of
my painting, and the top right corner is a reproduction of an
Alice painting by Charles Blackman, my greatest artistic
inspiration. If you touch the thumbnail picture you will see
Nora’s self portrait.
Homage to Lina
I only discovered Lina Bryans through doing this project.
Yet, in the 1930’s, Lina’s “Pink Hotel” in Darebin on the
outskirts of Melbourne rivalled Sunday and John Reed’s art
circle at Heide. Between 1937 and 1970, Lina painted 70
portraits of literary and artistic friends thus forming a
landscape of Melbourne’s cultural life. Included in these is
the portrait of Jean Campbell, a modernist author and
playwright, which she titled ‘The Babe is Wise’ after the title
of Jean’s recently published book. Both Lina and Jean were
free spirits, intellectuals, and well ahead of their time. .
Homage to Thea
This self-portrait, the fifth in my series, is my homage to
Thea Proctor, a gifted draughtswoman, painter, printer and
fashion icon. Thea was the first female Australian artist to
exhibit at the Venice Biennale in 1912. In her mid-fifties
Thea gave up her studio in George St, Sydney, and moved
into a small ground floor flat with her mother in Double
Bay. It was here that she painted Woman in White, circa
1942, which is now in the collection of The Art Gallery of
NSW, and which is the inspiration for this self-portrait. On
the wall behind the woman can be seen the bottom portion
of the well-known portrait of Thea painted by her close
friend George Lambert when she was in her 20s. I have
replaced this with the bottom portion of Woman in White.
Homage to Grace Cossington Smith
Homage to Clarice Beckett