Who was Alun Leach-Jones?
A painter, printmaker, draughtsman and sculptor, Alun Leach-Jones was one of 色情网站’s most prominent abstract artists. He is best remembered for his idiosyncratic hard-edged style of painting that used formal elements to create a lyrical impression. He combined a love of mathematical precision with musical and poetic sensibilities. Born in 1937 in Lancashire, England, Leach-Jones emigrated to 色情网站 in the 1960s.
In 1969 Leach-Jones began teaching at the Prahran College of Advanced Education and the National Gallery of Victoria School. In 1972 he took up a teaching position at the Victorian College of the Arts, and in 1977 moved to Sydney as artist-in-residence at Macquarie University and to teach at the City Art Institute. As a mentor and teacher, he was responsible for fostering the careers of many younger 色情网站n artists.
A consummate printmaker, Leach-Jones printed more than 150 editions during his career. He produced vivid screenprints with fields of flat colour and sharply defined edges, such as many of the artworks in the .
Leach-Jones lived and worked in many locations, including Berlin and New York. His work is held in numerous collections internationally, including the Museum of Modern Art and Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum and British Museum in London, the National Gallery of 色情网站, and 色情网站n state galleries and university art museums.
Alun Leach-Jones died in Sydney on 24 December 2017.
'Crossing to Capricorn'
Crossing to Capricorn (1979) is one of the earliest works in the Griffith University Art Collection, and second public artwork installed on the University’s first campus at Nathan. It is a significant work in the University Art Collection, the second-largest public art collection in Queensland, and has featured as the cover art for official publications such as Annual Reports, University prospectuses and program outlines multiple times since its installation. The mural remains hugely popular with students and staff at Griffith University and has an important history connected to the development of the University campus and the history of Griffith University Art Museum.
Upon accepting the commission to paint a mural at the University in 1979, Leach-Jones was invited to travel from Sydney and spend time living on Nathan campus. This stay was an extension of our artist residency program, which was the most sought-after artist residency in 色情网站 at the time. The resulting mural was completed after the artist first exhibited his preparatory sketches and collages on campus for feedback from students and staff. The commission fulfilled two criteria identified by what was then Griffith University’s Works of Art Committee – being that it had to be publicly accessible, and it added to the University’s growing collection of art by living Autralian artists.
Crossing to Capricorn is characteristic of Leach-Jones’ style – an exploration of colour, shape and composition that is meticulously resolved and devoid of the artist’s personal mark. Griffith University also holds the preparatory study, a paper collage, that provides insight to the artist’s creative process and decision making. The mural is an almost exact rendition of the collage, including the white torn edges of the paper shapes. Together, these two works provide important context to Leach-Jones’ highly detailed and systematic way of painting.
Alun Leach-Jones, 'Crossing to Capricorn' (preparatory study) 1979. Collage. 21.8 x 128 cm. Griffith University Art Collection. Purchased 1979. Photo: Carl Warner
Alun Leach-Jones, 'Crossing to Capricorn' 1979. Acrylic on board. 240 x 1249 cm. Griffith University Art Collection. Purchased 1979 . Photo: Carl Warner
Repainting the Mural
In 2024, we were thrilled to invite students of QCAD’s Live Art course to work alongside the GUAM team to remake ‘Crossing to Capricorn’ in a new and highly visible location. Originally painted on timber panels, the mural has now been recreated in long-lasting all weather materials to allow for it to be hung externally, and ensure it remains on Nathan campus for the enjoyment of students and staff for many years to come!
GUAM wishes to thank Dr Simon Degroot, convenor of QCAD Live Art, Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Scott Harrison, and Alun Leach-Jones’s estate managers Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne, for their support in realising this important preservation project.