Grahame Kings life as an artist began with his mastery of the new art of colour reproduction as a photolithographic colour etcher in Melbourne in the 1930s. At the same time, study at the National Gallery Art School with George Bell assisted his development as a painter. After war service and travels abroad, King returned to Melbourne with his wife, the sculptor Inge King. The two held a number of joint exhibitions of paintings and sculptures in Australia throughout the 1950s and then, from c.1962 Grahame King turned his attention, increasingly, towards the art of lithography becoming a master in this field of printmaking. He has also devoted himself to promoting the art of lithography and printmaking generally through the Print Council of Australia. He is often called Australias patron saint of printmaking. The book examines his seven decades working as an artist in Melbourne and is lavishly illustrated with colour reproductions throughout.

he book traces the many ways in which drawing led King to the arts of monotype and lithography in which he became a master printmaker. The book begins with 1940s sketches of soldiers, shearers and dockworkers and then moves on to his wonderful pen and wash jottings of European architecture and scenery encountered during his travels.

Figurative to abstract imagery - Melbourne school - Welded steel and abstract expressionism - The dance - Works on paper - Exhibitions, awards, commissions and collections.

"These poems are part of a project of research, teaching and creative work which has been supported by the University of Melbourne." -- Acknowledgements.

Widely regarded as the authoritative reference on Australian art with its extensive colour plates and 4500 entries. Fully illustrated with more than 700 images on 1200 pages. Entries include: Aboriginal art, Abstractionism, art links, sculptors, photographers, craft workers and printmakers and much more.

Attractively illustrated exhibition catalogue which examines the work and influence of the painter/teacher George Bell. Through the work of his students and colleagues, Bell's contribution to the development of Australian art is explored. Includes a catalogue of works, a chronology of Bell's life and a select bibliography.