Art and Australia

Selected from the pages of Australia's 'little magazines' and established art journals by Elizabeth Butel (author of Margaret Preston, ETT Imprint 1995), this collection addresses Preston's recurring preoccupations - modern'` art, an Australian national art and the craft of art-making.

Never shy of voicing an opinion, Preston launched into print on a variety of subjects, from flower arranging and furnishing a bedroom, to Aboriginal art and design and its place in the creation of a national art for Australia.

"The natural enemy of the dull," Preston's style is infused with paradox, retaining its freshness through her very direct, uncompromising attack. Absorbing in itself, this collection invites us to reassess the relevance of her writings, both in her era and today and the impact they had on her own art-making: in the process, providing a context for a renewed appreciation of her work.