A House Full of Paintings - The Art and Life of Margo Lewers
Paying homage to the life and work of 20th century modernist artist Margo Lewers, Penrith Regional Gallery recreate A House Full of Paintings, the artist’s first solo exhibition, half a century on.
Words: Cardia Speziale
Hooked C 1970 by Margo Lewers, gift of Tanya Crothers and Darani Lewers, 1979, Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest collection.
Margo Lewers in her studio in the 1960s. Main Hero Image: Outside C 1975 by Margo Lewers, gift of Tanya Crothers and Darani Lewers, 1979, Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest collection.
Composition in Orange C 1952, by Margo Lewers, gift of Tanya Crothers and Darani Lewers, 1979, Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest collection.
Celebrating the art and life of 20th century modernist artist Margo Lewers, Penrith Regional Gallery is currently showing A House Full of Paintings, the first curated survey exhibition of works by the leading postwar abstract expressionist in over 20 years. Open until May 14th, A House Full of Paintings is free to attend and includes never-before-seen collages, paintings, mosaics, fabric hangings, and sculptures, set amidst the beauty of Margo’s former home on the river.
‘Margo Lewers helped define and enrich the Australian Modernist tradition with her unrestrained creativity and force, the impacts of which still reverberate today,’ says Nina Stromqvist, Curatorial Programs Manager at Penrith Regional Gallery.
Reflecting on a time in the late 1960s when Margo lived alone in her home that has now become the Penrith Regional Gallery, the exhibition pays homage to that which took place in the same building half a century ago. Proclaiming the space to be ‘a house without people, it’s only inhabitants paintings’, Margo hung prints and paintings all over the walls and worked to create an experience of art that expanded outside of the frame, encouraging guests to wander through rooms that had housed her family and friends for decades.
‘Although Margo may be best known for her paintings, it’s her mosaics that have been pulled into a new light, as a process of this exhibition’ says Toby Chapman, Director of Visual Arts at Penrith Regional Gallery. ‘It’s important to realise that she started making these works almost 70 years ago, when each tile had to be hand cut and painstakingly placed into positions. They are labours of love […] an apt reflection of Margo’s desire to live within her own modernist ideals of abstraction, beauty and functionality.’
‘Margo started working on mosaics on a small, domestic scale at first, decorating parts of her house that’s now part of Penrith Regional Gallery,’ says Toby Chapman. Pictured: colour photograph of the stone bath house taken from above, showing Margo Lewers’ geometric floor mosaic in situ with bathroom interior. Photo: Tim Wheeler
Centred (1975) by Margo Lewers, synthetic polymer paint on paper and composition (masonite) board, 32 x 28cm. Gift of Tanya Crothers and Darani Lewers, 1979 Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest collection.
“I think part of Margo’s vision for her home in Emu Plains was that it would continue to provide this spark of creativity for generations to come, which it certainly has.”
Broken Circles (Circa 1968) synthetic polymer paint on composition board, 45 x 68cm by Margo Lewers, Gift of Tanya Crothers and Darani Lewers, 1979 Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest collection.
A true harmony between artist, studio, landscape and architecture, the gallery houses not just Margo’s finished works, but sketches, studies, experiments, even down to personal items such as the palette and oil paintings that she used. ‘I think people are drawn to collections such as ours because of the very personal nature,’ muses Toby. ‘It’s almost as though you can see Margo at work, and that is something truly unique.’
Margo’s life-long dedication to abstraction was a means to make the intangible visible, and a personal expression as much as a refusal of representational form. Emotional response became a primary motivator for artistic creation, reflecting Margo’s ideology for a new way of living, one that continues to inspire artists today.
‘In many ways, the bequest is the most generous gift an artist can offer, not just for the artworks, garden and architecture that is now part of Penrith Regional Gallery, but also the social history of dynamic art making happening in Western Sydney,’ says Toby. ‘It's a source of inspiration that has already inspired countless artists, and will continue to do so for many generations to come.’
For those who want to learn more about the creativity, range and personal experiences of this phenomenal artist, the recently published book Margo Lewers: No Limits will be available to purchase at the gallery gift shop.
To learn more visit Penrith Regional Gallery online.
A HOUSE FULL OF PAINTINGS – THE ART & LIFE OF MARGO LEWERS
FROM SATURDAY 18TH MARCH – SUNDAY 14TH MAY 2023
Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of the Lewers Bequest – 86 River Road, Emu Plains