Life
Born in Adelaide in 1921, Smart started drawing at an early age on anything he could find. "My parents would give me large sheets of paper, often the backs of posters or calendars … anything". In 1948 he travelled around Europe and studied in Paris at La Grand Chaumière and later the Académie Montmartre under Fernand Léger. "As my technique grew, I found I could paint those things I liked looking at, those slum streets behind the city apartments". In 1950 he lived on the island of Ischia in the bay of Naples, where he painted with Donald Friend, Michael Shannon and Jacqueline Hick. When he ran out of money in 1951, he moved to Sydney and spent the next 2 years there as art critic for the Daily Telegraph (1952–54), arts compere called Phidias for the ABC children’s radio programme, The Argonauts and as a drawing teacher at the National Art School (1956–62). From 1956 to 1962, he also presented on ABC-TV's Children's Hour. Smart, (then known just as "Jeff") was also employed by The King's School, Parramatta in 1954–1956 as an Art teacher, following Jean Bellette (known as Mrs Haefliger) and John Passmore.
He exhibited throughout this period at the Macquarie Galleries. In 1965 he returned to Italy, and has lived there ever since, regarding himself as an "Australian living abroad", carrying an Australian passport.
Read more about this topic: Jeffrey Smart
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“Unfortunately, life may sometimes seem unfair to middle children, some of whom feel like an afterthought to a brilliant older sibling and unable to captivate the family’s attention like the darling baby. Yet the middle position offers great training for the real world of lowered expectations, negotiation, and compromise. Middle children who often must break the mold set by an older sibling may thereby learn to challenge family values and seek their own identity.”
—Marianne E. Neifert (20th century)
“With liberty and pleasant weather, the simplest occupation, any unquestioned country mode of life which detains us in the open air, is alluring. The man who picks peas steadily for a living is more than respectable, he is even envied by his shop-worn neighbors. We are as happy as the birds when our Good Genius permits us to pursue any outdoor work, without a sense of dissipation.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I have lifted the veil. I have created life, wrested the secret of life from life. Now do you understand? From the lives of those who have gone before, I have created life.”
—Edward T. Lowe, and Frank Strayer. Dr. von Niemann (Lionel Atwill)