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Charles Blackman / Australia 1928–2018 / City lights 1952 / Oil and enamel on cardboard / 74 x 62cm / Purchased 2005 with funds raised through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Blackman Art Appeal / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Charles Raymond Blackman/Licensed by Copyright Agency
Charles BlackmanCity lights 1952
Not Currently on Display
City lights is a striking and important painting from Charles Blackman’s early career and establishes a telling pictorial connection with innovative artists of the period based in Melbourne. City lights seems to be painted from North Quay, directly opposite the present site of the Queensland Art Gallery, as we see in the distance a representation of the arched sections of the old Victoria Bridge (demolished in 1969).
In the post-World War Two period, trams travelled along the river bank through North Quay. However, despite these unmistakable references, the subject of the painting is quite ambiguous; the two figures seem to be riding in a tram with the striped figures of the men working on the roadway; or are they on the decking of a barge?
The scene is obviously set at night, as pinpricks of light are reflected on the black waters of the river, but the yellows, reds, blues and whites suggest the scene is electrically lit, so as to register this intensity of colour.
Born in Sydney, Charles Blackman left school before the age of 14. From 1942 until 1947, he worked in the art department of The Sun newspaper, taking evening classes at East Sydney Technical College and at the Meldrum school of painting.
In early 1948, Blackman hitchhiked to Brisbane, where he met many young artists and writers, including the woman he would later marry, Barbara Patterson, who influenced his artistic development. In Brisbane, he was introduced to the work of modern European masters through colour reproductions available in libraries. He was also influenced by an exhibition of Sidney Nolan’s paintings, inspired by Fraser Island.
In the early 1950s, John and Sunday Reed were among the first collectors of Blackman’s work. Sunday Reed introduced him to the poetry of John Shaw Neilson, which informed his compelling ‘Schoolgirl’ series, while his remarkable ‘Alice in Wonderland’ series is infused with references to life at Heide, where the Reeds lived. In 1997, Blackman was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his services to art.
Discussion Questions
1. Blackman has used a number of geometric shapes in the painting. How many shapes can you identify?
2. Comment on the artist’s use of symmetry and bold colours.
Classroom Activities
1. Create an artwork that shows a city by night. Which lights would you include?
2. Research Sidney Nolan’s St Kilda works and compare these with Blackman’s City lights. Are you able to observe any artistic similarities?