Spowers & Syme
Is it too great a truism to repeat that the best art is always the child of its own age?
—Eveline W Syme
Celebrating the artistic friendship of Naarm/Melbourne artists Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme, the National Gallery Touring Exhibition Spowers & Syme will present the changing face of interwar Australia through the perspective of two pioneering modern women artists.
The exhibition offers rare insight into the unlikely collaboration between the daughters of rival media families. Studying together in Paris and later with avant-garde printmaker Claude Flight in London, Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme returned to the conservative art world of Australia – where they became enthusiastic exponents of modern art in Naarm/Melbourne during the 1930s and ‘40s.
Much-loved for their innovative approach to lino and woodcut techniques, Spowers & Syme showcases their dynamic approach through prints and drawings whose rhythmic patterns reflect the fast pace of the modern world through everyday observations of childhood themes, overseas travel and urban life.
Spowers & Syme is a National Gallery Touring Exhibition supported by Visions of Australia, Major Patron David Thomas AM, and the Gordon Darling Foundation. Spowers & Syme is a Know My Name project.
Audio descriptions of a selection of artworks from Spowers & Syme
The Social Story illustrates a visit to QUT Art Museum with information about what to expect. This tool is designed for use by individuals requiring support to navigate through the Museum and enjoy the experience.
At Spowers & Syme at QUT Art Museum, follow the wayfinding floor decals to navigate the space and not miss any of the artworks.
Part of the Know My Name initiative celebrating women artists, these learning resources support students to investigate and draw inspiration from the groundbreaking prints and paintings of Australian women artists Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme. The resources support the National Gallery of Australia’s touring exhibition Spowers & Syme and explore a selection of key themes.