Lot 49

Work in very good condition. Fly spotting, dust build up and paint imperfections are present on the surface.


The opinions expressed in the condition reports are a guide only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Prospective buyers are encouraged to inspect articles for sale at our pre-sale viewing where Leonard Joel staff are available for advice.
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.

Estate of the Artist

By 1957, Melbourne was a city transformed. Migration was increasing, the population booming, and the city's infrastructure expanded after hosting the Olympic Games the preceding year. Kenneth Jack, too, was in a period of transformation. During the 1950s Kenneth adopted a formalised focus on decorative design somewhat in the manner of Feininger, whose work he knew from books on contemporary art. It was a mixture of well-drawn subject matter, as Jack was a revered draughtsman, imposed onto a non-realistic flattened colour scheme. The effect was dramatic, as he desired:
"My own art has many influences, but I am striving to interpret principally the Australian scene as I see it - I am always interested more in the subject seen than imagined, preferring to use my imagination upon the designing of the subject into the picture plane. I prefer to work in a fairly tight manner at the moment but with a broad sweep to the design, countering the interest I have in details."
Kenneth Jack, 1957
It was at this time that Kenneth was invited to submit a work into the Caltex Art Prize. Marking the opening of their new premises, Caltex Oil would offer the winning artist 500 pounds - a prestigious and sought after prize provided by a budding new company that, to many, signified prosperity and hope in post-war Australia. Their chosen title, Our Changing Cities, inspired various artists from across Australia to put forward their artistic impressions.
Kenneth Jack's Melbourne encapsulates the changing face of post-war Australia. On the left panel, we see his keen interest in the railway system, of which he developed at a young age, the developments in the automobile industry and the resulting power of Caltex.
In the central panel the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Francis Selleck, takes centre stage flanked by the imposing ideals of family and work. The far right panel continues the theme of urban prosperity, with the new Australian culture and way of life represented - the excitement of newfound entertainment such as the drive-in and television in addition to the new comforts of the domestic.

© Kenneth Jack