Lot 81

Only upon close inspection can two breaks in the silk be seen. These are lower centre (just under the body of the butterfly) and upper right (near the wing). These do not look new, and as the work has been mounted against backing card, these are completely stabilised.
House in a shadow box frame, in black, overall framed size 180 x 180cm.


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Leonard Joel makes no guarantee of the originality of mechanical or applied components. Absence of reference to such modifications does not imply that a lot is free from modifications.

The Christensen Fund, Queensland
Private collection, Queensland

Shapcott, T.,The Art of Charles Blackman, Andre Deustsch Limited, London 1989, cat. no. 196 (illus.)

Blackman, C., Alvarez, A., Rainforest, The Macmillan Company of Australia Pty. Ltd., Melbourne 1988, cat. no. 29 (illus.)

In search of a much-needed seachange to focus on his next series of works, Charles
Blackman relocated to Buderim, Queensland, in the early 1980s. This laid the foundation for
his trips further north to explore the tropical greenlands and exotic nature of the Daintree region
where he discovered his fascination of the rainforest. Blackman spent a great deal
of time observing nature, dedicating his stay in Cairns to exploring the Atherton Tablelands, Lake Barrine, and the multitude of waterfalls and serene valleys located in between.

Situated immediately outside Blackman's hotel window in Cairns was a small garden
filled with native birds and colourful butterflies, providing him with much joy and
visual inspiration. After 18 months of painting, he reached a pivotal point in his exploration
and shifted his focus to the majestic butterfly. 'The more I thought about it, the more the butterfly
seemed to be a carrier of the message. The butterflies were like the illuminated manuscripts
of the great cathedral' 1 . This concept became the main focal point for his next body of
works - the rainforest as a cathedral.

With a strong desire to marry the two images, Blackman often referred to the impact of light and the layers of trees filtering the sun leaving colourful specks across the forest floor, like that of the colourful stain-glass windows inside the cathedral. 'In my mind I saw the vaulted cathedral and the rainforest cathedral one inside the other, I saw the cathedral fill the forest' - Blackman.

With the nostalgia of a childhood fold-over painting, here Stained Glass Butterfly 1984 radiates at the centre of a two-fold panel. The enlarged creature hovers over a burst of vibrant orange silk, contrasted with the thick bite of black outlining its presence. The use of fabric and dramatic black outline carries a Japanese aesthetic, similar to the black and colour contrast of a woodblock print. So too, the vibrant and strong colour palette combined with the black outlining is reminiscent of the lead lined windows within a cathedral's walls. The concept of the butterfly's wings opening, reminisces the unfolding of the book or manuscript in preparation for a reading, linking the butterfly back as the carrier of the message and a key to the remembrance of the rainforest.

Over the course of Blackman's time studying the butterfly within its natural habitat, he
documented an extraordinary range of movements and variations which became a significant body of work. Blackman took to this period with an astonishing burst of inventiveness and artistic maturity, signalling a time in his career and life where he was at peace with himself as much as his surroundings.

Lucy Foster, Fine Art Specialist

1.Blackman, C., Alvarez, A., Rainforest, The Macmillan Company of Australia Pty. Ltd., Melbourne 1988, p.8.