Historical information

Elwyn (Jack) LYNN (6 November 1917 – 22 January 1997)
Born Canowindra, New South Wales

Sydney based artist Elwyn Lynn was a self-taught artist who often used unconventional painting media and expressive surfaces to create abstract work. He trained as a teacher, and was a teacher of English and History in Sydney Secondary schools until 1968. From 1969 to 1983 Elwynn Lynn was Curator of the Power Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sydney University where he built up an international collection, which is now within the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art. He was an art critic at The Australian for many years, and wrote several books, including one on the artist Sir Sidney Nolan.

Elwyn Lynn was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia in 1975. He won the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1988, received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Sydney in 1969, and received the Emeritus Award from the Australia Council in 1994.

This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

Framed mixed media artwork. Like most of Elwyn Lynn's work 'The' is essentially abstract, although evoking a sense of landscape.

" Lynn’s heavy textures were created by mixing polyvinyl acetate (PVA) with sand, cement or plaster, after which it was left to dry in the sun or near a radiator. With the upper level drying and hardening first, its skin could be cut, sliced, poked, prodded and distressed, pushed into folds and corrugations." (https://www.charlesnodrumgallery.com.au/artists/elwyn-lynn/elwyn-lynn/, accessed 22 October 2019)

Subjects

References