Albert TuckerThe Truth in Masquerade
As a young artist in the 1940s Albert Tucker’s interest in popular culture drew him to Melbourne’s colourful entertainment venues. The Tivoli Theatre, Wirth’s Circus, and Luna Park were among the vibrant variety halls and showgrounds that he frequented and photographed for artistic interpretation in his paintings. Using theatrical imagery and effects inspired by the spectacle of live performance, Tucker commenced a series of works that point to the dramas and paradoxes of modern life through notions of masquerade.
Many of Tucker’s best known paintings on this theme are presented in this exhibition, together with photographs and related archival material that convey a sense of the fast-paced cabaret underlining his carnivalesque vision of society. Also included are works that explore Tucker’s little-known involvement in the left-wing New Theatre productions in Melbourne for which he designed and painted sets in his early career.
Selected media
Albert Tucker’s photographs of entertainers, shows reflected on canvas
Dylan Rainforth, Sydney Morning Herald, February 17 2015
Supported by
