Title

Griffin, Murray,

Author

Butler, Roger.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1981

Type

Biography

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Murray Griffin

Born in Melbourne on 11 November 1903, Murray Griffin studied drawing from 1919 to 1920, and painting 1921 and 1922 at the National Gallery School. His first experiments in linocutting were in 1921, but these did not reach fruition until the late 1920s, when he learnt colour printing. Around 1930 Griffin became familiar with the work of Norbetine Bresslern-Roth, and this had a decisive effect on his later work. Apart from a small group of extraordinary figure pieces of the mid-1930s, his best known work is of birds, printed in a dense oily ink. He uses the elimination process of cutting his blocks, and his editions are usually less than twenty. He is well known as a painter and teacher. He was Art Master at Scotch College, Senior Lecturer at Melbourne Technical College, and from 1946 until 1952, Drawing Master at the National Gallery School.

© Roger Butler, 1981.

Published in Melbourne Woodcuts & Linocuts of the 1920s & 1930s, exhibition catalogue, Ballarat: Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, 1981.