Aotearoa New Zealand-born artist Rosalie Gascoigne (1917-1999) is renowned for her sculptural assemblages inspired by the Australian landscape. This comprehensive publication on the artist’s life examines Gascoigne’s expression of the poetry of place and the poetry of the commonplace through her use of natural materials and found objects. Drawing on letters penned by Gascoigne, the major essay by exhibition curator Deborah Hart centres the artist’s own voice. Across five chapters, Hart explores Gascoigne’s deep connection to the environment and her international relevance in relation to movements such as land art, minimalism, conceptual art and Arte Povera. From her early ikebana arrangements to retroreflective works, this title examines the development of the first woman artist in the modern era to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale. Coinciding with a major retrospective at the National Gallery, Rosalie Gascoigne charts the life and meteoric career rise of an artist who was enamoured with the lands of Kamberri/Canberra and the surrounding region. Featuring full-colour reproductions of more than 80 works of art and a luxuriously tactile design, Rosalie Gascoigne is the definitive publication on one of Australia’s most enduring artists.
