Title

Cannas, by Murray Griffin.

Author

Bunbury, Alisa.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1998

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Cannas.

Cannas is undeniably one of Griffin’s most striking prints, a vital celebration of life visible in the luminous intensity of the flowers. The powerfully furled buds look as though they are about to explode with the force of a punch. The flowers contrast with the soft stippled background, clearly revealing the influence of Japanese prints with its asymmetrical composition and simplified background. This use of backlighting appears repeatedly in Griffin’s paintings, although less frequently in prints. The work shows Griffin’s great skill in visualizing colours which, when used in conjunction, sum up the essential colours of the object. This can be seen, for example, in the leaves with their purple/brown tones, but with the green tones evident underneath. However, this is one work where variations in the printing process and different inks are clearly noticeable in a number of impressions. In addition to the stippling and hatching, Griffin also used simple solid tones, as with the buds and flowers bases. Cannas was a very popular print, purchased by both the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of South Australia in the mid-1930s. It was also one of the art works selected for inclusion in the Australian Pavillion at the Paris World Exposition in 1937, Griffin’s only international exhibition.

© Alisa Bunbury, 1998.