In this episode I look at a few of the paintings themselves with artist Aida Tomescu.  I spoke with Aida about her own life and art in episode 33 where you can hear a great story of her arrival in Australia from communist Romania and her rise to becoming one of our most respected painters. She has won many awards including the Wynne prize, the Sulman prize and the Dobell prize and has exhibited in over 30 solo shows.

We talk about the paintings, paint, what the paint’s doing, guessing the intention of the artist and ponder on what effect it’s having on the viewer.

You don’t have to see the exhibition to appreciate these episodes but if you get a chance to go why not listen to it as you’re walking around? You’ll see I’ve marked at the top of this page the point where we speak about each work so you can see them in any order you like.

The book accompanying the exhibition, edited by curator Denise Mimmocchi, ‘Tuckson’ is widely available including from the Art Gallery of NSW bookshop.

Images are reproduced with the kind permission of the Art Gallery of NSW.

To hear the episode just press ‘play’ under the feature photo above.

Scroll down to also see a YouTube version of this episode with images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ8052xpX8c&t=1061s

John Anthony Tuckson
White lines (vertical) on ultramarine (1970—1973)
diptych: styrene-based house paint, polyvinyl acetate and pigment on hardboard
213.5 x 244.6 cm board overall
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Gift of Annette Dupree 1976
© Estate of the artist. Licensed by Copyright Agency
Photo: AGNSW

John Anthony Tuckson
Yellow 1970—1973
synthetic polymer paint on composition board
(a-b) 213.5 x 244 cm overall
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Loti Smorgon AO and Victor Smorgon AC, 2011

John Anthony Tuckson
Late drawing, no. 19 (TD 353) 1968—1973
charcoal on cartridge paper
228 x 76 cm
Collection of Watters Gallery

John Anthony Tuckson
No title [White sketch] circa 1973
synthetic polymer paint
213.5 x 91.5 cm
Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Bequest of Lucy Swanton 1982

John Anthony Tuckson
Swirl circa 1962—circa 1965
PVA on hardboard
122 x 182.2 cm
Private Collection, Sydney

John Anthony Tuckson
Untitled 1973
synthetic polymer paint and charcoal on hardboard
214 x 122.5 cm
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 2013
© The estate of the artist. Licensed by Copyright Agency
Photo: AGNSW