Swimming Underwater
Artist
Kerrie Lester
(Australian, 1953 - 2016)
Date1999
Object number00032174
NamePrint
MediumMixed media on paper, framed
DimensionsOverall: 750 × 940 × 65 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis work reflects Kerrie Lester's optimism in her observations of life around her in harbour side Mosman, Sydney and exhibits many of her trademark characteristics - the detailed hand-stitched outlines, bold titling and whimsical impression of the swimmer in a state of abandon and unselfconscious joy in the underwater world.HistoryKerrie Lester's works are direct and playful views of swimmers and people enjoying themselves around the water. Her style is slightly whimsical in the choice of subject, its humour and pictorial composition, yet is also very deliberate in her working of different media.
In this series of works (see 00032175 and 00032176) Lester's application of other media and found objects such as rope, net and fishing bits and pieces, and the hand stitched lines of the images, contrast with the playfulness of the images themselves. Altogether though, the stitched images convey the sense of simplicity and ease of relaxing around the water.
'Swimming Under Water' focusses on one woman swimming with eyes closed in beautiful blue water, enhanced by the texture of the paper, teasing a sensation of joy and freedom from those swimmers amongst us. The water motifis central to the subject matter and the artist's choice of a highly textured paper was deliberate.
Kerrie Lester is one of Australia's important contemporary artists who has turned her eye on the water, leisure and pleasure. Lester's work has a distinctive style; the works are direct and playful views of swimmers and people enjoying themselves around the water. Her style is slightly whimsical in the choice of subject, its humour and pictorial composition, yet is also very deliberate in her working of different media. In these works her application of other media and found objects such as rope, net and fishing bits and pieces, and the hand stitched lines of the images, contrast with the playfulness of the images themselves. Altogether though, the stitched images convey the sense of simplicity and ease of relaxing around the water.
Her works recall a range of joyous sensations associated with water:
Lester used a thick, hand made paper as her staring point. As she told Warren Fahey "From an artists perspective it was like using cardboard, however beautiful textured cardboard. The wonderful thing about this paper was that it already had a most exciting surface before I began. I view these works mainly as collage and this is quite a departure for me. Like my oils, every one of these painting has been hand - stitched as this is my way of breaking the flat surface to allow me to see the up and down terrain. This is my entry key and everything else follows"
(Works on paper catalogue 1999)
Significance'Swimming Underwater' represents the work of Kerrie Lester, one of Australia's important contemporary artists who has turned her eye on the water, leisure and pleasure.
