Australian Women's Art
in the National Library's Collections

Section 4. Artists' books


Eirene Mort (1879-1977)

Bookmark c.1920
etching
S9719
Bookplate for Eirene Mort 1928
etching
S9718

After setting up her business in 1906 Eirene Mort 'developed a strong interest in personalised book plates and her long-standing affinity with black and white led her into linocuts' (Margaret Mort, 'Eirene Mort, a biographical memoir', Old Canberra: a sketchbook of the 1920s, 1987). She studied etching in London and in 1914 she taught the well known printmaker, Sydney Ure Smith.


Christian Waller (1894-1954)

Illustrations from The great breath:
a book of seven designs

(Melbourne: Golden Arrow Press, 1932)
z204

This work was created after Christian Waller's visit to London to study stained glass. She returned home with theosophical ideas and these were largely the basis for the complex symbolism portrayed in these designs. The illustrations are linocuts and show great technical and artistic skill.


Irena Sibley (b.1944)

Illustrations from Australian wildflowers: an alphabet
written and illustrated by Irena Sibley
(Albert Park: Lilly Pilly Books, 1988-90)
hand coloured linocuts

Irena Sibley deserves greater appreciation for the superb quality of her work as evidenced in this exquisite book. She is a teacher of her many skills as well as a busy artist. Her work is reminiscent of that of Margaret Preston in a modern context.


Philippa Webb (b.1933)

Illustrations from The wombat and the snail
written and illustrated by Philippa Webb
(Strathpine: P. Webb, 1989)
hand coloured linocuts

The wombat and the snail is a modern Australian adaptation of Aesop's fable The hare and the tortoise. The National Library's copy is number 8 of only 15 designed and made by the artist.

This book was developed under the tuition of Irena Sibley at a creative summer school. Sibley was an 'apt and able teacher' for Webb.

Irena resolved my difficulty in visualising the prints by persuading me to 'colour in' with black felt pen my line drawings ... She also urged me to maintain the decoration and detail which are a feature of my work

(Philippa Webb, personal communication, 1989)


Dianne Longley (b.1957)

Illustrations from Night sea crossing
(Welland: Print Studio, 1994)
Computer generated images and text

Dianne Longley has had at least nine solo and joint print exhibitions in Australia and Scotland. Her work is held in many countries, including Korea, Scotland and Belgium as well as in Australia.

This item is the most current work in the exhibition having been completed by the artist late in 1994. It is also the only art work in the exbibition totally generated on a computer and laser printer.


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To IntroductionIntroduction
To Section 1Section 1. Over the Back Fence
To Section 2Section 2. Distant Views
To Section 3Section 3. Childrens Lives
To Section 4Section 4. Artists Books
To Section 5Section 5. Gardens, Plants and Bird
To Section 6Section 6. Self and Others
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