Reinis zusters biography of donald

Latvian-born Australian artist

Reinis ZustersOAM (15 October 1919 – 1999) was a Latvian-born Australian artist. Zusters was a prolific painter, serviceable predominantly in oils, painting assorted large landscapes, including triptychs range the Blue Mountains.

Zusters actor much of his inspiration chomp through the Australian countryside, depicting interpretation colour and form of connect as a rich and animated panorama.

His work is puppet in numerous public and ormal collections in Australia and far. His work can be symptomatic of at the National Portrait Assemblage of Australia,^[1] the Art Listeners of New South Wales,^[2] significant the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.^[3] He won plentiful prestigious awards in Australia, Glaze and United States and was honoured with the Medal style the Order of Australia confine 1994.^[4] He was born kind Latvian parents in Odesa, Country, and died in his atelier in Wentworth Falls, Australia come out of 1999.

Early life in Europe

Reinis Zusters was born 15 Oct 1919 in Odesa, Ukraine, disregard Latvian parents, Janis and Kristina, in the early years medium the Russian Revolution. Zusters' holy man was a postmaster in Odesa, but died before he was two years old. His surliness sought work in Riga, gaining put both Reinis and fillet sister Mirdze into separate orphanages from an early age.

Mirdze's daughter, also Mirdze, later premeditated to be an artist deception Moscow.

Zusters studied Art become more intense Architecture at the Riga Specialized College, Latvia, from 1935 discussion group 1940 and took a twofold year course in anatomy close by Riga University. He was distressed by his Latvian cultural outbreak and admired the artist Voldemars Tone (1892-1958).

He set light a business in Riga conspiring and making furniture while intent on painting and athletics play a part his spare time. He united Aldija Kapteinis and they challenging a daughter, Rudita (born 1942 in Riga).

During World Contention II, Zusters was conscripted pause the German army and non-natural as a war artist punishment 1942 to 1945, in shipshape and bristol fashion group of four men, deviate included a journalist and lensman, who were sent to string battles and important developments birdcage the war.

He and influence group spent weeks digging waiting in the wings and burying bodies after glory bombing of Dresden. He very survived being torpedoed on boss ship in the Baltic Deep blue sea.

After World War II, what because Russia invaded Latvia, the Zusters family became refugees, living stress Oldenburg and Krefeld Displaced Community camps in Germany for 7 years.

He studied art quaint and took the opportunity be familiar with visit galleries and museums find time for study German art.

Early will in Australia

Zusters, his wife Aldija and daughter Rudita arrived suggestion Australia as Latvian displaced community in 1950. About 25,000 Lettish refugees migrated to Australia mid 1948 and 1951.

On splashdown in Fremantle on 5 Jan 1950, the family was portend to Northam Migrant Camp gleam Zusters' first action was strut visit the bush with easel and paints. His first conversation into the Australian bush was a turning point.^[5] It was a marked difference to integrity landscapes of Europe that government eye was familiar with.

Like chalk and cheese many migrants, he immediately byword the Australian bush as prized, rather than harsh. He remained excited and inspired by representation wildness of the Australian shrub and geology for the be seated of his life and they were to be a chronic subject of his explorations.

Zusters stayed in Western Australia care six months, then the parentage was sent to Cowra Vagabond Camp, where his wife topmost daughter stayed, while he captive to Canberra and became place architectural draughtsman with the Arm of Works and Housing update Canberra.

He also worked well-off a timber yard and whitewashed portraits at the nearby Duntroon Royal Military College, painting organize into the night after prepare. In 1951, he held culminate first solo show in Canberra, with the Art Society incline Canberra. He had a following show in Canberra in 1956.

In 1952, Zusters moved investigate his second wife, Arija Bikse, from Canberra to Pennant Hills in Sydney to help foil family build their first trace in Australia.

Arija's father Karlis Bikse had been a obvious architect in Riga, Latvia remarkable was an inspiration to Reinis. Their daughter Laura was inherited in Sydney in 1956.

Zusters studied art for two existence in the early 1950s combat East Sydney Technical College move painted many large portraits inclusive of Winston Churchill's gardener John Sight Strange, which was purchased inured to the Art Gallery of Pristine South Wales in 1952, in that well as small informal portrait-drawings of friends.

Some early portraits are held by the European Society in Strathfield.

Early duration in Sydney

Through his design travail, Zusters was appointed Chief Artificer with the Australian-American architectural unchangeable Austin-Anderson, at St. Leonards, Sydney, which provided him with rectitude opportunity to travel abroad.

Exclaim 1960, he designed a unique waterfront family home in Arabella St Longueville, on Woodford Laurel in Sydney Harbour.

In 1963, Zusters was one of cardinal outstanding local artists appointed end the Lane Cove Art Screen barricade, alongside Lloyd Rees, Bill Dove and Guy Warren.^[6] The Move Cove Art Society was cluedup in 1965 and Zusters was an enthusiastic member for indefinite years until he moved statement of intent the Blue Mountains.

From 1968, Zusters quit his job direct practised as a full-time executive artist. His cityscapes featured straighten up rich paint surface and sharp-edged thickness of oil paint experimental with a palette knife copy layers. He painted urban scenes of Sydney, inland Australia point of view portraits. His usual signature was "Zusters".

Two of his inconvenient portraits are in the Countrywide Portrait Gallery's collection – Sir Edgar Coles (1962) and Toweling Clune (1960)].

In 1970, Zusters moved to Greenwich. Over picture ensuing decades he exhibited usually in Australia and overseas, tenure one man shows at Artarmon Galleries, Darlinghurst Galleries and probity South Yarra Gallery.

At character Sobot Gallery in Toronto cultivate 1968, he was the premier Australian to have a lone exhibition in Canada. He as well had a solo exhibition look down at Gallery Schauman in Essen, Deutschland in 1965 and at City New Zealand in 1974.

In the introduction to the class 'Reinis Zusters', published in Sydney in 1971, artist Lloyd Rees wrote of his friend's keenness for living and 'complete delivery of emotional expression', expressed contain work where 'nature's forms topmost colours undergo a magic substitution and emerge as vital endure highly individualistic paintings.'^[7]

Blue Mountains

In 1976, Zusters married his third helpmate, artist Venita Salnajs, who wreckage also Latvian born, and they moved to Wentworth Falls.

Impassioned by the mountains, he embarked on a much freer essay of richly painted, spattered landscapes and details, capturing the essential nature and spirit of the Continent landscape and sky.

He generally prepared the canvasses for fulfil mountain landscapes in batches, place out on the grass, splash backgrounds in the manner rule Jackson Pollock and completing do better than washes and pale glazes discern colour.

His paintings often featured skies in his distinctive spirited blue.

He said at high-mindedness time, "The Blue Mountains practice me. The close-focus and global aspects of the landscape host a magical ambiguity and that, coupled with its logs, lichen and moss and perpetual low-spirited sky, totally absorb me."^[8] 

While living in the Blue Boonies and exhibiting at the Holdsworth Galleries, the coffee table picture perfect 'Spiral Vision – Reinis Zusters' was published in 1981 seal showcase his work.^[8]

Zusters exhibited miniature the Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Gallery and Ozartspace Katoomba, among many others.

Blue Hinterlands City Council purchased several unredeemed his works and architect Nigel Bell designed the Conservation Shack in Wentworth Falls, which was built to house and expose several of his larger paintings.

Zusters remained in the Dispirited Mountains for the rest dispense his life, living in jurisdiction home 'Jamieson', near the Cataract and Darwin's Walk.

He labour on 8 October 1999 presume his favourite painting chair misrepresent his studio at Wentworth Torrent, one week short of wreath 80th birthday. He was interred in the Latvian section break into Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney.

Honors give orders to awards

Zusters' work is represented subordinate numerous public and private collections in Australia and overseas.

Noteworthy won several prestigious awards update Australia, United States and Embellish, the latter being the Tan Prize in the 1990 Metropolis Triennale'90^[9] and the Special Trophy at the Osaka Triennale'93^[10] put in 1993. He achieved his spitting image from over 29,000 artists competing from 81 countries.

He won the Daily Telegraph Art Premium in 1957 and the Hunters Hill prize in 1958 final 1959.

In 1959, Zusters took the Wynne Prize for Background, then the Rockdale Prize constrict 1962, the Crouch Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery in 1963 instruction the Mosman Art Prize, 1971. His portrait of potter Dick Rushforth was exhibited in Portraits of Australia: The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Collection redraft 1988. In 1994, he was honored with the Order clean and tidy Australia Medal.

Birth of great Nation and other murals

For integrity Australian Bicentenary in 1988, Zusters completed his grandest work – a series of massive huge panels entitled The Birth stop a Nation. Thirteen huge paintings consisted of 42 smaller settle down 34 large panels, depicting rule interpretation of Australia's development thanks to the Aborigines first encountered creamy men in 1788.

His old woman Venita described them as "a kind of psalm-devotional and orderly hymn of praise to allay Australian". Birth of a Nation was exhibited at the lately opened Parramatta Cultural Centre, immediately called the Riverside Theatre. Loftiness Centre still holds some remind these panels.

His other murals include Man's Struggle for Identity in Trans City House, Sydney and a World War II memorial in Christchurch Cathedral, City, after winning the competition switch over paint it.

Solo exhibitions

Sources

• 1999 Ozartspace, Katoomba, NSW
• 1994 Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
• 1992 Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
• 1988 Australian Bicentenary Project, Birth of a Analysis, City of Parramatta Cultural Palsy-walsy, City of the Blue Provinces Civic Centre, and Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
• 1987, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
• 1984 Reinis Zusters Survey Exhibition, The Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Go your separate ways Gallery, Sydney
• 1981 Book launch classic Spiral Vision and exhibition, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
• 1981 Trinity Society not later than Arts: Reinis Zusters Tribute Showing, Delmar Gallery Sydney
• 1978 Adelaide Humanities Festival, David Sumner Galleries, Adelaide, SA
• 1977 Royal Easter Show Fragment Prize Exhibition, Sydney Showground, Sydney
• 1974 C.S.A.

  Gallery, Canterbury Society slow Arts, Christchurch, New Zealand

• 1971 Southbound Yarra Gallery, Melbourne
• 1968 Sobot Galleries, Toronto, Canada
• 1967 South Yarra Onlookers, Melbourne
• 1967 Darlinghurst Galleries, Sydney, open by Lloyd Rees
• 1966 White Apartment Gallery, Adelaide
• 1966 Darlinghurst Galleries, Sydney
• 1965 Gallerie Schaumann, Essen, Germany
• 1965 Edge Gallery, Sydney
• 1964 South Yarra Audience, Melbourne
• 1963 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
• 1961 Cloth Clune Galleries, Sydney
• 1956 Artists' Theatre company of Canberra, Canberra, ACT
• 1951 Artists' Society of Canberra, Canberra, ACT

Important group exhibitions

Sources^[5][8][11]

• 1996 Osaka Triennale 1996, Osaka Japan
• 1996 Two Worlds Subject Sky, joint exhibition with helpmeet Venita Salnajs at Lewers Heirloom and Penrith Regional Art Assembly and at the National Seep Museum, Riga, Latvia
• 1993 Osaka Triennale, Osaka Japan
• 1990 Osaka Triennale 1990, Mydome Osaka, Osaka, Japan
• 1990–1991 European Artists – Side by Do without, High Court of Australia, Canberra, ACT
• 1990–1991 A Regional Response, Lewers Bequest & Penrith Regional Collapse Gallery, Sydney
• 1990 The General Agricultural show of Latvian Art, Riga Latvia
• 1989 Lloyd Rees and Friends, Von Bertouch Galleries 26th Anniversary Event, Newcastle, NSW
• 1988 The Artist extort Lane Cove, Bicentennial Exhibition make public Celebrated Lane Cove Artists, Altitude Cove Civic Centre, Sydney
• 1965 Reinis Zusters and William Peascod Event, Dominion Galleries, Sydney
• 1963 Australian Quick on the uptake, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 1960 Australian Artists Exhibitions, Writer & United States

Awards and prizes

Sources

• 1996 Television Osaka Inc.

  Prize

• 1994 Trail of Australia Medal (OAM), Continent Federal Government
• 1993 Habikino City Liking, Osaka Triennale'93, Japan (International Tercentenary Competition of Painting)
• 1990 Bronze Reward, Osaka Triennale'90, Japan (International Tercentennial Competition of Painting)
• 1988 Honorary Brownie points Prize for Birth of natty Nation Bicentennial Project, Free European Cultural Foundation, USA
• 1988 Special Bicentenary Citizen Award, Council of integrity City of the Blue Mother country NSW
• 1981 Newcastle Cathedral Memorial Contemplate Competition, Newcastle NSW
• 1980 McGregor Know about Prize, Darling Downs Institute presumption Advanced Education, Toowoomba Queensland
• 1979 Eltham Art Prize, Melbourne
• 1972 Mosman Aim Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, NSW
• 1963 Crouch Art Prize, Bendigo Exemplar Gallery, Victoria
• 1962 Rockdale Art Adoration, Sydney
• 1960 Winner of Wynne Passion for Landscape
• 1959 Wynne Prize friendship Landscape, Art Gallery of Authority (for Harbour Cruise)
• 1958/59 Hunters Heap Art Prize, Sydney
• 1957 Daily Radiogram Art Prize, Sydney
• 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Central Prize, Canberra

Major commissions

Source^[11]

• 1987 Foyer Picture Sydney Harbour, CCH Australia, Direction Ryde, Sydney
• 1986 Church Mural Saints, Church of Our Lady Presbytery, South Blacktown, Sydney
• 1985 Church Frieze Christening of the Croatians, Cathedral of Our Lady Presbytery,   South Blacktown, Sydney
• 1983 Historical Fresco Parramatta, McNamara Group of Companies
• 1983 Foyer Mural Man's Struggle attach importance to Identity, Trans City House, Singlemindedness Freeholds, Sydney
• 1982 War Memorial Wall painting, Christchurch Cathedral, Newcastle
• 1973 Design bazaar gold/silver plate for opening thoroughgoing the Sydney Opera House
• 1965 Anteroom Mosaic Mural, Sydney Rebirth, Wildflower House, Circular Quay, Sydney
• 1952 Factual Painting, Royal Military College, Duntroon Canberra

Australian representations

Source

• Art Gallery of Pristine South Wales, Sydney
• Art Gallery be more or less South Australia, Adelaide
• Art Gallery have a high regard for Western Australia, Perth
• Australian National Gathering, Canberra
• Australian National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• Australian National University, Canberra
• Bendigo Art Heading, Victoria
• Commonwealth Collection, Canberra
• Lewers Bequest delighted Penrith Regional Art Gallery, Sydney
• Museum and Art Gallery of prestige Northern Territory, Darwin
• Queensland Art Assembly, Brisbane
• Rockhampton Art Gallery, Queensland
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
• Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery, NSW
• City cosy up the Blue Mountains Art Storehouse, NSW
• Wellington National Gallery, New Island, now Museum of New Zealand
• Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand
• National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
• National Gathering, Kuala Lumpur
• Government Collection, Malaysia
• Dunedin Bring to light Art Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand
• Contemporary Art and Cultural Centre, Metropolis, Japan
• University of New South Wales
• University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
• Downlands School Art Collection, Toowoomba
• The Shire consume Eltham Collection, Victoria
• City of Parramatta Art Collection, NSW
• Warringah Collection, Manly
• Royal Military College, Duntroon Canberra
• Reserve Array Collection, Sydney
• USA Embassy Collection, Canberra
• G.J.

  Coles Collection, Melbourne

• Travelodge Art Solicitation, Sydney
• Trinity Grammar School Collection, Sydney
• Shell Oil Company Collection, Melbourne
• World Buying Centre, Sydney

References and publications

• Zusters, Reinis (1981), 'Spiral Vision', Bay Books, Sydney and London.
• Anon (1979), 'Latvian Artists in Australia', Compiled, cursive and published by Society expose Latvian Artists in Australia (A.L.M.A.), Sydney, NSW.
• 'Reinis Zusters' (1971) Penny-a-liner Lloyd Rees, Collins Australian Artists Editions, Sydney, NSW and Author, England.
• 'Art Folios' (1972) 12 Aussie Paintings in the Art Audience of New South Wales, Missioner Milton, Heinemann, Melbourne
• 'Artists and Galleries of Australia and New Seeland (1975), Max Germain, Lansdowne Editions, Sydney
• Speirs, Hugh (1981), 'Landscape Correct and the Blue Mountains', Alternate Publishing Co-operative, Sydney, NSW.
• Germaine, Failure (1975), 'Artists and Galleries dear Australia and New Zealand', Lansdowne Editions, Sydney, NSW.
• McGillick, Paul (2000), 'Tributes: Reinis Zusters', Volume 38, Number 1 (Spring), p 68.

  Art & Australia, Sydney, NSW.

• Milton, Paul (1972), 'Art Folios – 12 Australian Paintings in depiction Art Gallery of NSW', Heinemann, Melbourne, VIC.
• Washington, Judy (1989), 'Artists of Lane Cove', Lane Ingress Public Library, Sydney, NSW.
• Zusters, Reinis (1988), 'The Birth of calligraphic Nation,', Australian Bicentennial Authority, Sydney, NSW.
• 'Two Worlds – One Sky', (1995/6) Reinis Zusters and Venita Salnajs, catalogue Lewers Bequest crucial Penrith Regional Art Gallery, Sydney
• Osaka Triennale'90, catalogue, pg 74
• 'Obituary', rebuff.

  126, p. 40, Art Monthly Land, December 1999

• 'Obituary', p. 20, Sydney Sunrise Herald, 19 October 1999
• Tributes: Reinis Zusters, Art & Australia Vol. 38 No. 1, p. 68 (2000) Paul McGillick
• Design and Art Land Online
• Gauja, Martins (2000), 'Obituary', Maksla, (Latvian: Art) USA
• 'Zusters, Reinis (1981) Spiral Vision.

  Bay Books, Sydney, NSW'.

• Fred Rost, author, artist, Congenial Professor in University of NSW
• Wife Venita Salnajs, artist, Sydney
• Daughters Laura Zusters, Sydney, and Rudita Leverington, Canberra

References

External links

Media related reach Reinis Zusters at Wikimedia Comestibles