What's Happening in Abbotsford, VIC…

The Newcastle Region Art Gallery has over 800 Australian prints in the permanent collection. These prints range in date from 1812 up to the present day. The gallery was opened in 1977 and draws visitors from all over including those in nearby Abbotsford. All of the Australian prints in the gallery are contained in a 4-volume illustrated catalog; the gallery utilised catalog printing as it was an effective and efficient way of providing a comprehensive illustration of the holdings.

The earliest prints in the collection are by Richard Browne from 1812; the collection contains over 50 prints from the Colonial era. The largest percentage of prints in the collection is from the 20th and the current day. Artist who are represented in the Austrian prints collection include printmaking innovators such as John Brack, John Coburn, Lloyd Rees, Jan Senberg, Jesse Traill, Thea Proctor, Margaret Preston and Barbara Hanrahan. Techniques of Print making illustrated include etchings, dry points, wood engravings. Some of the more recent acquisitions of the gallery are digital prints. While many contemporary Print makers embrace the new printmaking techniques, many eschew digital technology for more traditional ones; the collection at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery illustrates this.

Printmaking has a long and varied tradition in Australia. Many of the earlier prints from the Colonial era serve as records of what life was like in those days and most are related to the Newcastle region. The collection at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery in essence is a history of New South Wales. Get a Free Quote for Print