Clarice Beckett: The Present Moment

Overview

We're lucky to have access to Clarice Beckett's work today. Beckett painted hundreds of paintings during the 1920s and 30s, before passing away in 1935 at the age of 48. Following her death, her artworks disappeared for decades before being rescued by Dr Rosalind Hollinrake, who salvaged 369 of Beckett's paintings from a shed in rural Victoria.

From Saturday, February 27 until Sunday, May 16, the Art Gallery of South Australia is presenting the most comprehensive Clarice Beckett retrospective ever, exhibiting nearly 130 of the artist's works, including pieces from the private collections of Russell Crowe and Ben Quilty.

Beckett's work focuses on capturing the everyday world through muted and pastel tones and with a focus on natural light. In The Present Moment, these works are thematically displayed to chart the chronology of one single day — starting with sunrise and ending with nightfall.

Accompanying the exhibition is an workshop for those wanting to learn about Beckett on Saturday, March 27 and a series of mindfulness workshops offering tai chi, yoga and relaxation classes while surrounded by artworks every Wednesday in April.

Tickets to the exhibition run from $20, while the workshops will set you back $35.