Discovering Norman Lindsay

Yesterday, the first real balmy-warm day of spring, Alex and I gunned the little vee-dub up the M4 to Glenbrook in the Lower Blue Mountains.

My fifties-inspired, tunic-top, full-skirted dress and long sleeved blouse were ready to pick up from the dressmaker's, Julie Hoffman of "Thredz" (blog to follow soon!).

The dress is gorgeous, I am transformed into something half-way between Katherine Hepburn and Our Miss Brooks (so I dream on!). Well, at any rate, I am different! But you knew that already, hey?

Alex and I have been following my dressmaker visits with lunch at various local cafes in Glenbrook Village but yesterday, after sitting and talking and snacking in the car I suggested we do something different - pay a quick, flying visit (the day was getting on and Alex was tired from a recent chest infection) to the Norman Lindsay gallery at Faulconbridge.

Norman Lindsay is one of my favourite Australian artists, characters and rebels. He shocked a stultifyingly, wowserish Australian society in the 20's and 30's with his unashamedly pagan and erotic images of naked women cavorting in all manner of most-unwowserish poses and situations! He is, of course, also famous for his well-known children's classic, "The Magic Pudding", about a cranky and never-ending boiled pudding called Albert. His artistic energy was extraordinarily prolific and wide-ranging; he seems like some kind of bohemian renaissance man.

And I'm learning to be fascinated by Rose Lindsay, his wife, model and business manager - an also most extraordinary character - strong and talented in her own right, said to embody Norman Lindsay's concept of the "feminine dominant"! Ah! Girls, are we thinking we might resonate with that?

I'm rather fond of the Australian film "Sirens", starring Sam Neil, Hugh Grant and with Elle MacPherson, Kate Fischer and Portia De Rossi as a buxom trio of models. Filmed at the Lindsay home in Faulconbridge and at Sofala and redolent with symbolic and evocative imagery, the movie is a charming and arty comedy of how a stiff, repressed Anglican minister and his wife are transformed by contact with the unconventional, the pagan and the sensual of the Lindsay household against the backdrop of the the magic of the Australian bush.

Now Alex was unfamiliar with Norman Lindsay and I was keen to introduce him to the magic.

So we tootled further up the highway and, turning off at Faulconbridge, we knew we were getting close when we started to pass streets named after characters from the Magic Pudding. We arrived rather late in the day - around 330pm. The gallery is the original Lindsay home, studio and garden which have been renovated by the National Trust. As well as the wonderful house itself there are numerous paintings, etchings, sculptures, books and ship models (I told you the guy was wide-ranging!). The studio has been preserved to look as if the artist had only just stepped out! Throughout the garden one comes, unexpectedly, upon amazing statues and sculptures.

We only had about 40 minutes to look at things because the gallery closes at 4pm but they allowed us in free of charge. Alex was quite tired by this time but he saw enough to be hooked! He sat down in one of the rooms while I scouted around; then I took him on a brief tour of what I thought would be the highlights. In the "Oil Room" his eyes widened with amazement when he saw the incredibly forthright and exultantly erotic oil paintings paying homage (I think) to female sexuality and strength. He was also very impressed by the huge, intricately-crafted sailing ship models Norman Lindsay used to make to relax!

It was a good return visit for me too because they have done some further renovations since I was there 7 or 8 years ago (god! time flies!). They have restored the capacious tiled kitchen with its Aga stove and old artifacts at the back of the house and opened up the covered walkway to it which gives a view onto courtyards. I had a good chat with one of the ladies in the shop and - of course - bought several cards and postcards. We didn't have time to explore the garden as time ran out and there was a wedding being held in the part closest to us (yes! I'm thinking, thinking!)

When we returned to the car we noticed the wattle trees were in flower, setting its blaze of yellow against the spring-deepened green of the gums.

We drove home happy and already planning our next - but this time much longer - visit to the magic that is Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum!

Nestled in that greater and older magic that is Sydney's Blue Mountains!

Some interesting Links:

Norman Lindsay Gallery
(contains images of artwork as well as views of house and garden)


The Magic Pudding
(the children's classic)

Sirens
(the movie)
Amazon.com entry plus reviews
Reelviews review
SMH:An alternate view of the movie by one who was there

Glenbrook
(the village)

Thredz
(the dressmaker)