The Art of Australia
Season 1
This is a landmark series in which Edmund Capon tells the story of art in Australia and the role it has played in the development of the nation. The three-part series weaves the stories of European and Indigenous art. Edmund travels across the continent to look at important artworks and meet significant contemporary artists whose work creatively deals with themes from Australian history.
Where to Watch Season 1
3 Episodes
- Strangers in a Strange Land
E1Strangers in a Strange LandEdmund Capon tells the story of how art helped European settlers come to terms with such an unfamiliar land on the other side of the world and how, ignoring 60,000 years of indigenous culture, they saw the place through a distorted European lens, until a uniquely Australian impressionism reflected the emergence of a distinctive national identity and an independent nation. - Coming of Age
E2Coming of AgeEdmund Capon explores how Australian art evolved in the first half of the 20th century against the backdrop of two world wars. As modern artists expressed both the dreams and demons of this new nation, they met with decades of disapproval from the old guard, until they finally revolutionized Australian art and heralded its arrival on the world stage. - Beyond Australia
E3Beyond AustraliaEdmund Capon explores how, from the 1960s onwards, Australia and its art went global. Transformed into a migrant nation, Australia's dependence on Britain and Europe ended and artists and nation alike turned their attention to America and then Asia. And it was the world's most ancient art form, indigenous art from the heart of the continent, that would become modern Australia's instantly recognisable calling card.