I am searching for a woman called Rosalind Hollinrake.If it weren't for her, the memory of Clarice Beckett would have faded completely.
Many years after Beckett's death, Hollinrake discovered some paintings, signed 'C. Beckett', and set off to discover who this mysterious painter was. Eventually her search led her to a farm in Victoria, where to her horror she discovered, in an open-sided barn, rows and rows of Beckett paintings, 1200 in all, and most of them completely destroyed by the elements.
The farm was owned by an old lady, living on her own-- Becketts' sister.
Eventually Hollinrake gathered together the surviving paintings from private collections, and mounted several exhibitions, bringing to public consciousness the criminally-neglected work of a genius.
So I really want to try and find Rosalind Hollinrake, maybe to write to her or something. I have looked all over the internet but can't find an address or number anywhere--but I'll keep looking.
16 comments:
It really is a huge loss. The other day I heard that we have less than 1% of the documents that have survived the antiquity (1 PERCENT!). I wonder how much art and history we lost throughout the years with wars and neglect...
AY
I have Rosalind Hollinrake's phone number. How can I send it to you without publishing it here for all to see?
Hello, thank you very much for leaving a message, that is very exciting news. Could you email me at bmclaughlin@sstar.com.au
Thanks!
I am dying for someone to do an evocative film about Clarice, something like Carrington starring emma thompson perhaps? The film could open with clarice wheeling her mobile easel around the streets of beaumaris in twilight, the drudgery of her domestic life, her exhibitions and painting friends, her tragic death, and the amazing rediscovery of her works in a barn among the rats - amazing stuff! Good on you for starting a blog on her - at least it's a start. I'd love to write a book about her, but work fulltime
Hi Teresa-- Thanks for stopping by. It's great to hear from a fellow Clarice fan, I haven't met very many. She was an amazing artist and woman. It's funny that you say you'd like to write a book about her-- that is something that I would really like to do too. It is a real shame that there is not a big, comprehensive, nicely bound hard cover book with her full story, and with all her paintings.
A movie, hey? Well, it certainly would make a good story, I agree.
dear anonymous, I was just wondering if you had any luck contacting rosalind hollinrake. i've been phoning her for ages and leaving msgs but can't seem to contact her
Hi Ben,
Good to see your Blog and continuing recognition of Clarice Beckett's work. Not sure whether you're aware an exhibition has just started in Adelaide regarding Australian tonalists "Misty Moderns" that will eventually come to Sydney - info. at:
http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/mistymoderns/
Cheers, Andrew
Hi Andrew,
thanks for stopping by. Wow! That is very exciting news! Thankyou for sending me the link-- that sounds like it will be an awesome exhibition. By the sounds of it it will be coming to Sydney to the Hazlehurst Gallery. Great!
Nice to meet you, Andrew- also nice to see your photographs- I really like your work.
Hey, thank you, but they're no serious effort, have just taken an occasional angle and most of my favourites are on film & requiring transfer. Looks like the SH Ervin will host the exhibition also when it gets to Sydney, which would make sense as I think they've hosted Beckett works before. Cheers, Andrew
Hi Ben
Did you ever get in touch with Rosalind Hollinrake?
I'm researching Clarice Beckett for my column Yesterday's Women and came across your posts.
Another case like Clarice's was Adelaide Ironside.
Hi Ben (and Paula),
You probably know by now, but the winner of the 2009 Australian / Vogel Literary Award, Kristel Thornell, wrote her novel 'Night Street' inspired by Clarice Beckett. And I believe she was in touch with Rosalind Hollinrake at one stage as well. The novel comes out later this year from Allen & Unwin.
L
Hi, I am actually searching for Rosalind Hollinrake too. Only 2 years after Ben McLaughin was conducting his search! I have a father that is an artist and last year I packed up just under 300 paintings and shipped them over from Perth to Melbourne. The story of Clarice Beckett reminded me of my father (though my father is still alive). He was living alone in Perth and the state of his small house (packed with close to 300 paintings) was not good. The paintings are in storage now and I would like to help my father exhibit them. He is an eccentric person and he will not let just anyone 'market' his paintings. He was the one who told me about Rosalind Hollinrake and I thought that perhaps she could point me in the right direction as to where to start with this huge task of exhibiting my father’s life's work.
Do you know how I could contact her either by phone or email? I just want to have an informal chat to work out where I should go from here..
Add me to the list of persons keen to make contact with Rosalind Hollinrake regarding Clarice's gravesite at the Cheltenham Memorial Park. info@focrc.org
i JUST FOUND THIS LINK - I KNOW ROSALIND - DID YOU FIND HER
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