Art, 1971-1979

Component identifier:

Series 19

Content Summary:

In 1971, at the age of 59, Stivens took up painting for the first time, and it was to remain a strong interest for the rest of his life. His first works were large abstracts in acrylic. He went on to use a variety of media including plastics, crayons, household oils, fabric dyes and glitter paints. In 1974 he held a one-man exhibition at the Holdsworth Gallery in Sydney and later that year some of his work was reproduced in Art in Australia. In August 1979 three of his illustrations accompanied articles in the literary journal Helix.

Papers in this series include slides and photographs of Stivens' paintings, several rough sketches, art catalogues, cuttings and correspondence with Gisella Scheinberg, owner of the Holdsworth Gallery.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were purchased from Stivens in several small instalments from 1971 to 1973 and in one large instalment from Stivens' companion, Juanita Cragen, in 1999.

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