August 2020 Mailbag No 2

Image: visitvictoria.com.au

This is a continuation of the August Mailbag from yesterday as we had too many items for one post. We love getting mail from subscribers, so do please keep sending in your gems of art in life.

We will start with mail from John Wylie in South Australia who has discovered a new artist for us, through finding a book in a local market at Myponga on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Markets offer a treasure box of surprises and just where you might discover new artists for us to showcase. The book is called Clarrie Cox Australia by Currey O'Neill. You can see a sample of his works from the pages John has photographed.

I have done a little research on Clarrie Cox (1927-2013) and his paintings have a distinctive Australian flavour to them. As John has said: Clarrie was famous for Australian Landscapes/Country Streetscapes and humble houses and shops from the early pioneer period.

Here is a small selection of some Clarrie Cox's paintings. I will do some more research and dedicate a complete post to his works.

Next we move onto Mr Antonio Frederick Futterer who, along with his wife Alma Morris, has an intersting tale to tell, thanks to mail from my cousin Colin Morris.

Antonio Frederisk Futterer (baslibrary.org)

Following on from Jane's Magnificent Mansions - King Tutankhamun's Tomb Colin sent in for us to view a video on the Silver Lake's Holyland Exhibition.

I must declare an interest in the people behind this museum. My great aunt was Alma Morris who married the explorer and evangelist Frederick Futterer and together they founded the Holyland Knowledge Bible Society in Los Angeles, USA which was open to people from all religions. On the death of Alma and Frederick their home and school was turned into a museum which exists to this day.

Nestled in the heart of Silver Lake, the Holyland Exhibition is a treasure trove of artifacts and mementos from the Holy Land gathered by explorer Antonio Futterer, once rumored to have been the inspiration for the popular film "Indiana Jones."2

Reporter Nick Hardcastle visits the Holyland Exhibition and tours five rooms carrying relics from Futterer's journey to the Holy Land. He interviews mother-daughter duo Karen and Betty Shepard, custodians of the exhibition, who are working to uphold Futterer's legacy and travels.2

When you watch the video please pay particular attention to the magnificent gaming table built in Damascus, Syria: for anyone interested in furniture, this piece is breathtaking.

And Di in Bendigo, who follows the Facebook page Lost Bendigo and District, alerted me to these charming hand painted tiles and ceramics by a local Bendigo artist Jean Tebb and also some by Zena Cohn, whom I am assuming is related to Bendigo artist Ola Cohn, whom we have featured in three past mailbag posts: Mail from Bendigo; We've Got a full Mailbag; Mail Bag Feb 2020.

Ceramic Tile by Zena Cohn

Also displayed on the Lost Bendigo and District Facebook page was this tile painted with a delightful feathered friend by a M. Poyser. We are trying to find out who this artist is. If anyone knows anything at all about M. Poyser please let me know through my email: [email protected].

Ceramic Tile by M. Poyser

And now to something quite different as it was sent to me by Snowy the Dog. We have featured images from the book Dogs in Art written by Snowy's assistant Susie Green. Snowy is one of our greatest fans and wanted to share with us the strength of the spirit of a dog.

Thank you, Snowy, and we love you for your support.

Thank you to all the subscribers who made the August mailbag so interesting. We do enjoy getting mail so please keep sending in snippets of art in life.

Credits

  1. aasd.com.au
  2. kcet.org