She makes work drawn from observation, often from her own domestic environment.

The qualities that made Campbell a favourite with private collectors are exactly those that previously kept the museums at bay. It’s clear there is no way Campbell can be stereotyped.Ĭressida Campbell’s woodblock painting Night Interior (2017). This doesn’t quite take account of four striking self-portraits, in which we see four versions of a sullen expression and an unruly mane of red hair a portrait of the artist’s late husband, Peter Crayford and a wall of juvenilia that reveals a precocious pre-pubescent imagination. The show doesn’t proceed chronologically but has been divided into six themes: still life, interiors, plants, studio, bushland, and water views. The word-of-mouth factor will play a crucial role in drawing audiences. It’s hard to imagine anyone not responding positively to Campbell’s inventiveness, to her skill with colour and composition, and to the truly staggering commitment of time and energy that has gone into these works. Although an Australian artist might not be expected to pull the crowds, one can confidently predict this show will be a monster. There are more than 140 items in this survey, which will be the NGA’s major drawcard of the summer.

Artist Cressida Campbell at the NGA exhibiton.

Sydney opera house pictures