A Life of Texture and Thought
Elwyn Augustus Lynn, often known affectionately as Jack, occupied a singular and remarkable position in the Australian art landscape during the second half of the twentieth century. Born in Canowindra, Australia, his journey was one of profound intellectual and sensory exploration. While he was a prolific painter, Lynn’s influence extended far beyond the canvas; he was a formidable art critic, an insightful author, a dedicated curator, and an influential arts administrator. His early life, shaped by his education at the University of Sydney, saw him immersed in the study of English, history, and philosophy. This academic foundation instilled in him a lifelong curiosity about the nature of beauty and a skepticism toward all forms of censorship, a conviction that would later define much of his critical writing.
His path as an artist was largely self-taught, beginning in the mid-1940s while he served as a schoolmaster. Initially, Lynn found inspiration in the works of artists such as Sali Herman and Russell Drysdale, but his artistic vision underwent a radical transformation following a pivotal journey to Europe in 1958. Witnessing the raw, scarred landscapes of post-war cities and encountering the "matter painting" movement at the Venice Biennale—specifically the works of Antoni Tàpies and Alberto Burri—deeply moved him. He began to see a profound connection between the physical textures of the earth and the psychological scars of human history, leading him toward an abstract language that sought to communicate the weight of human suffering and endurance.
The Alchemy of Surface and Symbol
Lynn’s technical approach was nothing short of alchemical, earning him recognition as one of Australia’s most distinguished texture painters. He moved away from traditional methods to embrace unconventional media, using materials like PVA, sand, plaster, and shellac to construct surfaces that were visceral and tactile. In a daring display of experimentation, he would often apply mixtures of granular fillers and subject them to heat sources, such as the sun or a radiator, to create wrinkled, leather-like skins that could be cut, penetrated, or pressed into deep corrugations. These works were not merely paintings but assemblages of texture, where black paint was often rubbed away with methylated spirits to reveal the complex, scarred layers beneath.
Through these techniques, Lynn evoked landscapes that felt disfigured and torn by time and geomorphic stress. Even when his work remained essentially abstract, a haunting sense of the Australian landscape often emerged—a landscape characterized by drought, fire, and the ruggedness of the earth. His ability to translate deep natural tones into metaphors for resilience allowed him to bridge the gap between the physical world and the internal human experience. This mastery of surface was celebrated through numerous prestigious accolades, including the Blake Prize for religious art in 1957 for his work Betrayal, and the Wynne Prize in 1988 for Fire and Drought near Old Junee.
A Legacy of Criticism and Curation
Beyond his personal practice, Lynn was a central pillar of the Australian arts community. As the curator of the Power Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Sydney for fourteen years, he played a vital role in building an international collection that remains a cornerstone of contemporary art today. His voice as a critic was equally potent; writing for publications such as The Bulletin, The Australian, and The Weekend Australian, his "curare-tipped comments" were known for their sharpness and intellectual rigor. He served as the editor of the Contemporary Art Society’s Broadsheet and held leadership roles in the Australia Council, ensuring that new and challenging artistic voices were heard.
His literary contributions further cemented his legacy, as he authored several books that explored the complexities of modern painting and the history of Australian landscape artists. From his scholarly examinations of Sidney Nolan to his studies on contemporary drawing, Lynn’s writings provided a vital framework for understanding the evolution of Australian art. His life's work remains a testament to the power of interdisciplinary passion, leaving behind a legacy where the boundaries between the critic and the creator, the scholar and the maker, are beautifully and permanently blurred.
