Author(s): Jennifer Palmer

Artists & Styles

This monograph, featuring over 120 of his artworks, traces the remarkable career of the painter Richard Maurovic. Described frequently as a super realist following in the footsteps of Jeffrey Smart, Maurovic has in fact drawn on a wide range of artistic influences from Piero della Francesca to the American Precisionists and Australian Modernist painters. Physically compromised by an accident in his early twenties, he matches his distinctive technique and interests with extraordinary ingenuity in the pursuit of his vision. This is largely one of human activity and its impact on the shaping of both rural and urban environments. He brings the same perception of detail and patterns to his paintings of everyday items, food particularly. As the works in this book suggest, Richard Maurovic revels in explorations of colour and the geometric appeal of his subject matter, be it great or small. Richard Maurovic is an artist who, while calling up memories and associations with his beloved Adelaide and South Australian countryside, also reminds us of the ubiquitous nature of modern landscape and consumerism, and in doing so connects us across both interstate and international boundaries.