Fred Williams

Fred Williams
Australian 1927–1982

Yellow landscape 1968
oil on canvas
Geelong Gallery
Purchased 1976

Fred Williams developed a highly original pictorial space in the history of Australian landscape painting. Returning to Australia in 1957 after five years in London, Williams saw his home country with fresh eyes, and set about to reconnect artistically and intellectually with its natural environment.

His enduring fascination with the landscape and commitment to his art resulted in a prolific oeuvre that developed through several distinct yet interrelated progressions between figuration and abstraction. Williams drew and painted on paper in-situ during excursions into the bush, using visual material produced on site, for the large-scale paintings he produced with enormous consideration and aesthetic control back in his studio.