Roger Kemp Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Roger Kemp Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 07, 2024
KEMP Roger (1908-1987), 'Complex No. 3,' 1982, Etching 6/45, 90x60.5cm (plate)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
KEMP, Roger (1908-1987) 'Complex No. 3,' 1982 Etching 6/45 90x60.5cm (plate) PROVENANCE: Realities Gallery, Melbourne; Orica Collection, purchased from the above in 1983; Kerry Stokes Collection; Sotheby's, Art from the Kerry Stokes Collection, Sydney, 26th August 2002 (lot 655); private collection, Sydney.
Davidson Auctions
Dec. 03, 2024
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Rhythm Six, c.1975
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Rhythm Six, c.1975 synthetic polymer paint on board 138.5 x 162.0cm (54 1/2 x 63 3/4in).
Bonhams
Nov. 26, 2024
ROGER KEMP - UNTITLED C.1960 - ACRYLIC ON BOARD
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) UNTITLED c.1960 Acrylic on board 89 x 77.5cm Estimate $22,000/28,000 AUD
GFL Fine Art
Nov. 13, 2024
§ ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Horizontal Six 1978 etching, ed. 1/45 50 x 100cm (image); 76 x 118cm (frame)
Est: $800 - $1,200
§ ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Horizontal Six 1978 etching, ed. 1/45 signed and dated lower right: Roger Kemp 1978 titled lower centre editioned lower left 50 x 100cm (image); 76 x 118cm (frame) PROVENANCE: Deutscher~Menzies, Sydney, 16 June 2004, lot 445 Private collection, Sydney Barsby Auctions, Sydney, 6 April 2024, lot 1101 Private collection, Melbourne LITERATURE: Kolenberg, H., Roger Kemp: The Complete Etchings, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1991, pp. 84, 85, cat. no. 61 (illus., another example) OTHER NOTES: © Copyright courtesy The Artist's Estate
Leonard Joel
Oct. 22, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled synthetic polymer paint on paper mounted on linen 143 x 291.5cm
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled synthetic polymer paint on paper mounted on linen 143 x 291.5cm PROVENANCE: The Estate of the Artist Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: © Copyright courtesy The Artist's Estate
Leonard Joel
Sep. 17, 2024
ROGER KEMP, THE BARRIER, 1962
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) THE BARRIER, 1962 enamel on board 113.0 x 77.5 cm 120.5 x 85.0 cm (frame) signed verso: Roger Kemp bears inscriptions verso: Roger Kemp / No 21 / The Barrier PROVENANCE Sotheby's, Sydney, 17 November 1988, lot 186 Private collection, Sydney, acquired from the above John Barnes, Melbourne The Estate of John Barnes, Melbourne EXHIBITED One Man Show by Roger Kemp, Farmers Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, 22 August – 1 September 1962, cat. 21 Modern Australian Paintings, Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne, 20 June – 27 July 1989, cat. 34 (illus. in exhibition catalogue) © Estate of Roger Kemp This work is located in our Melbourne gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 17, 2024
ROGER KEMP, RESURRECTION, C.1965
Est: $28,000 - $35,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) RESURRECTION, c.1965 oil and synthetic polymer paint on board 182.5 x 136.5 cm 188.5 x 145.5 cm (frame) PROVENANCE Collection of the artist, Melbourne Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne (label attached verso) John Barnes, Melbourne, acquired from the above The Estate of John Barnes, Melbourne © Estate of Roger Kemp This work is located in our Melbourne gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 27, 2024
Roger Kemp, (1908-1987), Untitled, oil on board, 75 x 102 cm
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Untitled oil on board signed l.r.c. 'Roger Kemp'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Jul. 30, 2024
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, C.1972
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 – 1987) UNTITLED, c.1972 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 132.5 x 271.0 cm 134.5 x 273.5 cm (frame) PROVENANCE Estate of the artist Eastgate and Holst, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in 2019 EXHIBITED Roger Kemp, Works from the Estate 1960 – 1987, Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne, 31 August – 26 October 2019 © Estate of Roger Kemp This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Jul. 03, 2024
ROGER KEMP, (1908 - 1997), Flowers, acrylic on board, 18 x 39 cm (frame: 37 x 57 x 4 cm)
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1997) Flowers acrylic on board titled and signed on label verso.
Lawsons
Jun. 25, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled mixed media on paper 73 x 71.5cm
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled mixed media on paper 73 x 71.5cm PROVENANCE: Gift of the Artist c.1970 Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent OTHER NOTES: © Copyright courtesy The Artist's Estate
Leonard Joel
May. 26, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1907 - 1987), Form on form, oil on panel, circa 1962, signed verso, with an old exhibition label "19 - Form on form" and a label with the artist's address in Beaumaris., 35.5 x 30.5cm; framed 46 x 39.5cm overall. PROVENANCE: a gift from
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
ROGER KEMP (1907 - 1987), Form on form, oil on panel, circa 1962, signed verso, with an old exhibition label "19 - Form on form" and a label with the artist's address in Beaumaris., 35.5 x 30.5cm; framed 46 x 39.5cm overall. PROVENANCE: a gift from the artist to fellow artist, George Johnston; gifted to Jenny Zimmer, editor of monographs on Kemp and Johnston.
Leski Auctions Pty Ltd
May. 07, 2024
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Rhythm Six, c.1975
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Rhythm Six, c.1975 synthetic polymer paint on board 138.5 x 162.0cm (54 1/2 x 63 3/4in).
Bonhams
Apr. 21, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Untitled
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
mixed media on paper Roger Kemp Studio certificate of authenticity accompanies this work 120 x 87cm PROVENANCE Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne The David and Susi Caddy Collection EXHIBITED Roger Kemp, Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne, 18 March - 22 April 2006 © Courtesy of the Estate of Roger Kemp
Gibson's
Apr. 21, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Blue Rhythm
Est: $5,000 - $6,000
acrylic on board signed and inscribed on label verso: Roger Kemp / Blue Rhythm 30 x 34cm PROVENANCE Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne The David and Susi Caddy Collection © Courtesy of the Estate of Roger Kemp
Gibson's
Apr. 21, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Night Landscape 1940
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
enamel on board signed lower right: Roger Kemp 26.5 x 26.5cm PROVENANCE Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne The David and Susi Caddy Collection © Courtesy of the Estate of Roger Kemp
Gibson's
Mar. 27, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Untitled 1982
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF MR RODNEY MENZIES, MELBOURNE ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled 1982 synthetic polymer paint on linen 212.0 x 295.0 cm; 217.0 x 300.5 cm (framed)
Menzies
Mar. 19, 2024
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled synthetic polymer paint on paper mounted on linen 143 x 291.5cm
Est: $40,000 - $50,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled synthetic polymer paint on paper mounted on linen 143 x 291.5cm PROVENANCE: Estate of the artist Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: © Copyright courtesy The Artist's Estate
Leonard Joel
Nov. 29, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Sequence from the Centre c1970
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Sequence from the Centre c1970 synthetic polymer paint on board 81.5 x 125.5 cm; 93.0 x 137.0 cm (framed) signed lower right: Roger Kemp
Menzies
Nov. 21, 2023
ROGER KEMP - STILL LIFE - OIL AND ACRYLIC ON BOARD
Est: $2,200 - $2,800
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) STILL LIFE Oil and acrylic on board 30 x 30cm Estimate $2,200/2,800 AUD
GFL Fine Art
Aug. 17, 2023
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Est: $700 - $1,000
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Leonard Joel
Jul. 06, 2023
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Est: $1,300 - $1,800
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Leonard Joel
Jun. 28, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Poem 1955-60
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Poem 1955-60 enamel on board 91.5 x 122.0 cm
Menzies
Jun. 27, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled c.1979 synthetic polymer paint on cartridge paper mounted on canvas 134 x 144cm
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled c.1979 synthetic polymer paint on cartridge paper mounted on canvas artist's name, title and medium on unknown label verso signature of Merle Kemp verso, dated 15.12.89 134 x 144cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
May. 23, 2023
ROGER KEMP - UNTITLED - OIL ON BOARD
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) UNTITLED Signed lower left Oil on board 83 x 49cm Estimate $4,000/6,000 AUD
GFL Fine Art
May. 23, 2023
Roger Kemp (1908-1987)
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Untitled c. 1960-65 oil on paper on board, signed l.r.c. Roger Kemp
Shapiro Auctioneers
May. 03, 2023
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, C.1980
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) UNTITLED, c.1980 synthetic polymer paint on linen 136.5 x 235.5 cm bears inscription verso: E083 PROVENANCE Private collection, Melbourne ESSAY The mid-1970s saw Roger Kemp standing tall within the Australian art scene. It began with the pioneering abstractionist being awarded an OBE for services to Australian painting. This was followed by the National Gallery of Victoria commissioning from him a splendid suite of tapestries to hang in its Great Hall; while, not to be outdone, the still to be opened National Gallery in Canberra purchased a strong selection of his works for its embryonic collection. Then a nationally touring survey exhibition, curated by Monash University’s Professor Patrick McCaughey, was being arranged—which firmly cemented recognition of his lifelong contribution to modern Australian art. These were to be Kemp’s most productive years. The artist might have entered his sixties, but he now seemed to bristle with creative energy. Weekdays were spent in his city studio, an old warehouse near Spencer Street station which Kemp leased with the young sculptor George Baldessin. Kemp used the entire upper floor in the narrow brick building as an immense painting studio, working until late making his critically acclaimed Sequence series. As this untitled early piece from that series demonstrates, the Sequence paintings were generously wide horizontal abstractions fashioned from structured geometric forms. It’s a bold, gutsy composition painted on linen canvas he had unrolled then fixed directly to the studio wall. An initial sense of visual pattern is deceptive. Kemp may have improvised, developing an increasingly intricate design as he went. But circles, squares and bars in a narrow palette were adroitly balanced, so that a blue diamond to the left of a central white oblong answers a dark turquoise rectangle over on the right. Kemp also did not work in-the-flat across his paint surface, instead deliberately suggesting that his forms levitate in space. This sees him adding a thick black outline to shapes, darkening some pale areas so they drop away, and emphasising tonal values—means for optically conveying distance while setting a contemplative mood. Kemp always had a weighty point he wished to press. Through geometry he wished to convey the perceptions of physicists and scientists, how they discern rational systems behind our seemingly haphazard world, with his overall Sequence paintings conveying the restless turmoil of the cosmos. But this untitled piece has a more direct goal, evoking the built environment around Kemp’s warehouse-studio. The artist teases his audience visually by using geometric forms to hint of what was a city zone under active redevelopment: squares, oblongs and discs strikingly echo an urban grid of inner-city streets, alleyways and buildings viewed from above, each floating white square denoting a skyscraper to be constructed. Painted during this intense creative period, Untitled (Sequence), c.1980 shows Roger Kemp in top form. One can appreciate why The Australian’s critic Christopher Allen was transfixed by a room of these later works in the NGV’s 2020 Kemp retrospective. ‘These paintings look more beautiful and impressive,’ Allen declared in his review, insisting how in visual terms this peak in Kemp’s production ‘can be said, without exaggeration, to be breathtaking.’1 1. Weekend Australian, 11 – 12 January 2020 DR CHRISTOPHER HEATHCOTE © Estate of Roger Kemp
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 27, 2023
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Est: $1,700 - $2,500
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER, ARTIST'S NAME ON NIAGARA GALLERIES LABEL VERSO, 29.5 X 42CM, FRAME SIZE: 63 X 73CM
Leonard Joel
Apr. 05, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Movement Eight c.1980 etching, ed. 10/45
Est: $800 - $1,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Movement Eight c.1980 etching, ed. 10/45 signed lower right: Roger Kemp titled lower centre editioned lower left 37.7 x 35.8cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne EXHIBITIONS: Roger Kemp: The Complete Etchings, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 January - 7 April 1991, cat. no. 39 (illus., exhibition catalogue, another impression) OTHER NOTES: Another impression of this print is held in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. © Estate of Roger Kemp
Leonard Joel
Apr. 05, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Sequence Sixteen 1982 etching, ed. 21/35, 2nd edition
Est: $800 - $1,200
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Sequence Sixteen 1982 etching, ed. 21/35, 2nd edition signed and dated lower right: Roger Kemp 82 titled lower centre editioned lower left 45.3 x 50.5cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne EXHIBITIONS: Roger Kemp: The Complete Etchings, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 January - 7 April 1991, cat. no. 41 (illus., exhibition catalogue, another impression) OTHER NOTES: Other impressions of this print are held in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; and National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. © Estate of Roger Kemp
Leonard Joel
Apr. 05, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Sequence 12 1972 etching, ed. A/P
Est: $800 - $1,200
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Sequence 12 1972 etching, ed. A/P signed and dated lower right: Roger Kemp '72 titled lower centre editioned lower left 49.5 x 66.5cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: Another impression of this print is held in the permanent collection of the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane. © Estate of Roger Kemp
Leonard Joel
Mar. 21, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled (Choreography) synthetic polymer paint on masonite
Est: $18,000 - $26,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled (Choreography) synthetic polymer paint on masonite signed lower right: Roger Kemp 89 x 121cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: The circle and the square commonly feature in Roger Kemp's work. Kemp frequently explores the interplay between these two physical and spiritual shapes, with the square traditionally symbolising earth and the circle heaven. "His glimpses of the ineffable are translated to us in terms of dancing, for his paintings are a choreography of the spirit - but the dancing is never extravagant. It has the formal quality of a saraband. Every movement, every gesture, every brushstroke becomes part of a ritual." (James Gleeson, 1967) © Estate of Roger Kemp
Leonard Joel
Mar. 21, 2023
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Counterpoint synthetic polymer paint on cartridge paper mounted on canvas
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Counterpoint synthetic polymer paint on cartridge paper mounted on canvas signed lower right: Roger Kemp 221 x 151cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: © Estate of Roger Kemp
Leonard Joel
Dec. 01, 2022
ROGER KEMP, UNTITLED, C.1981
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) UNTITLED, c.1981 oil on canvas 208.0 x 250.0 cm bears inscription verso: COVENTRY PROVENANCE Estate of the artist, Melbourne, until 2000 Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne Private collection, Perth, acquired from the above in 2005 EXHIBITED Director's Choice, Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne, September, 2005 Abstraction 21, Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne, 16 October - 20 November 2021, cat. 7 LITERATURE Makin, J., ‘Stars blossom in spring’, Herard Sun, 19 September 2005, p. 96 (illus.) ESSAY ‘Whether the forms are the circle and square or the cruciform image… the cycle of Kemp’s experience returns again and again to the same states of being. Energy and rhythm are everywhere apparent and their passage into structural form provides one of the enduring formal and iconographic themes of his art.’1 Grounded in geometry and mediated by gesture, Roger Kemp’s bold abstract paintings are unique within late twentieth century Australian art, revealing both the singular vision and expressive hand of their maker. Kemp’s purpose also set him apart. There is no narrative in his work, no obvious figuration or representational aim. He sought instead, to express a deeper meaning through his art, a personal perspective ‘that alluded to the timeless and universal, a means to articulate his experience of a higher truth.’2 Dedicating himself to painting full-time from 1966, the 1970s was a critical decade in Kemp’s career, which saw his practice widely acknowledged and celebrated. His work was included in the inaugural Sydney Biennale in 1973, he was awarded an OBE for services to Australian art in 1977, and in 1978, a group of works was acquired for the developing national collection. By this time, Kemp had also established a strong relationship with Marianne Baillieu, who ran Realities Gallery in Melbourne, and she energetically championed his work, presenting it in successful commercial exhibitions and placing it in important private and public collections. Slowed down by a stroke in 1980, Kemp had to relearn the use and control of his body, but his motivation and creative drive remained strong. Initially working on a small scale, he was soon producing vast mural-sized paintings which had become such a signature element of his oeuvre during the previous decade. Further accolades and recognition were to follow, including a commission (completed in 1984) to produce a suite of large-scale tapestries for the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria. Hanging against towering bluestone walls beneath Leonard French’s stained-glass ceiling, the Kemp tapestries were well known to visitors to the gallery for decades to come. Created around 1981, this untitled painting exemplifies the expressive dynamism and graphic power of Kemp’s work. His familiar palette of dusty blues and purples is combined here with vibrant shades of red, orange and pink, which are arranged, mosaic-like, into a series of geometric shapes. A red cruciform in the lower left of the canvas and four floating circles dominate the composition, but jostling against smaller, less structured blocks of colour and areas of expressive, gestural painting in the background, they are held in a finely balanced equilibrium. Black and white painted lines define the forms and animate the image, emphasising the feeling of movement across the painting’s surface which vibrates with a palpable sense of energy. The scale on which Kemp worked demanded that painting was a very physical act and, beginning with a preparatory sketch to outline the composition, he then worked freely, as this painting shows, ‘without traces of mannerism, artifice or guile… There was no apparent struggle, no erasures or revisions.’3 1. McCaughey, P., Roger Kemp: Cycles and Directions 1935-1975, Monash University, Melbourne, 1978, n.p. 2. Heathcote, C., A Quiet Revolution: The Rise of Australian Art 1946 – 1968, Text Publishing, Melbourne, 1995, p. 7 3. See Heathcote, C., The Art of Roger Kemp, Macmillan, Melbourne, 2007, p. 140 KIRSTY GRANT
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 29, 2022
ROGER KEMP - STILL LIFE - Acrylic on board
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) STILL LIFE Roger Kemp Studio certificate verso Acrylic on board 30 x 25cm $3,000/5,000
GFL Fine Art
Nov. 29, 2022
ROGER KEMP - SEQUENCE SERIES - Oil on board
Est: $9,000 - $12,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) SEQUENCE SERIES Signed lower left Oil on board 83 x 49cm $9,000/12,000
GFL Fine Art
Nov. 22, 2022
Roger Kemp (1908-1987)
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
The Symbol, c. 1960-62 enamel on hardboard, signed l.l.c. 'Roger Kemp'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Sep. 14, 2022
ROGER KEMP, SQUARE TO SQUARE,
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) SQUARE TO SQUARE synthetic polymer paint on composition board 122.0 x 122.0 cm inscribed with artist’s name and title on typed label verso: 25. SQUARE TO SQUARE / ROGER KEMP. PROVENANCE Corporate collection, Sydney © Estate of Roger Kemp
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 13, 2022
Roger Kemp (1908-1987)
Est: $14,000 - $18,000
Untitled c. 1960-65 oil on board, signed l.r.c. 'Roger Kemp'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Aug. 23, 2022
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Crossform, c.1973-75
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Roger Kemp (1908-1987) Crossform, c.1973-75 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 103.5 x 79.5cm (40 3/4 x 31 5/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Aug. 09, 2022
ROGER KEMP, MOVEMENT III, 1981
Est: $45,000 - $65,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 – 1987) MOVEMENT III, 1981 synthetic polymer paint on linen 208.0 x 307.0 cm 211.0 x 310.0 cm (frame) bears inscription verso: 9 PROVENANCE Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired directly from the artist on 8 June 1990 EXHIBITED Roger Kemp, Coventry Gallery, Sydney, 29 September – 17 October 1981, cat. 3 IMPACT, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 1 December 2012 – 21 October 2013 on long term loan to Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne LITERATURE Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, pp. 127 (illus.), 222 This work is located in our Sydney Gallery © Estate of Roger Kemp
Deutscher and Hackett
Jul. 29, 2022
AUSTRALIAN ART EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
Est: $100 - $150
Australian Art Exhibition Catalogues. Includes Brett Whiteley, Lloyd Reece, Tony Tuckson, Robert Klippel, James Gleeson, Godfrey, Roger Kemp, Arthur Boyd, Wendy Sharpe, Fred Williams, Peter Booth, Kevin Connor.
Sydney Rare Book Auctions
Jul. 27, 2022
ROGER KEMP, MECHANICS OF THE MIND, also known as CONFIGURATION, C.1985
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) MECHANICS OF THE MIND, also known as CONFIGURATION, c.1985 synthetic polymer paint on linen 206.0 x 350.0 cm bears inscription three times verso: COVENTRY No 1 bears inscription on stretcher bar verso: No 1 PROVENANCE Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne, acquired directly from the artist The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 12 July 1990 EXHIBITED Roger Kemp – Recent Paintings, Coventry Gallery, Sydney, 6 – 31 May 1986, cat. 1 The Bus Collection of Australian Art, Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 59 (as ‘Configuration’) Art in a Time of Change, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Sydney, 21 January – 9 April 2000 A Century of Australian Art, Gosford Regional Gallery, New South Wales, 14 April – 28 July 2000 on long term loan to Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales LITERATURE Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, p. 222 ESSAY Roger Kemp is often described as ‘an artist’s artist’. Indeed, as Patrick McCaughey has written, he ‘embodied to successive generations the very idea of what it was to be an artist. It was a calling, not a career.’1 Grounded in geometry and mediated by gesture, his bold abstract paintings are unique within late twentieth century Australian art, revealing both the singular vision and expressive hand of their maker. Kemp’s purpose also set him apart. There is no narrative in his work, no obvious figuration or representational aim. He sought instead, to express a deeper meaning through his art, a personal perspective ‘that alluded to the timeless and universal, a means to articulate his experience of a higher truth.’2 Painting full-time from 1966, the 1970s saw Kemp’s practice widely acknowledged. Represented in the inaugural Sydney Biennale in 1973, he was awarded an OBE for services to Australian art in 1977, and in 1978, a group of works was acquired for the developing national collection. Although a stroke in 1980 slowed him down and required him to relearn the use and control of his body, Kemp’s creative drive remained strong. Initially working on a small scale, he was soon producing vast mural-sized paintings which, during the previous decade, had become such a signature element of his oeuvre. Further accolades and recognition were to follow too, including a commission (completed in 1984) to produce a suite of large-scale tapestries for the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria – well known to visitors to the gallery for decades to come. Painted around 1985, Mechanics of the Mind exemplifies the expressive power of Kemp’s work. Repeated geometric shapes and lines create an overall pattern from which an irregular central form emerges. Delineated in part by subtle variations in colour, the dusky pinks and white of the centre are surrounded by shades of blue and purple which are characteristic of Kemp’s distinctive, immediately recognisable palette. The scale on which he worked demanded that painting was a very physical act and beginning with a preparatory sketch to outline the composition, he then worked freely, ‘without traces of mannerism, artifice or guile… There was no apparent struggle, no erasures or revisions.’3 At over two metres high and more than three and a half metres in length, Mechanics of the Mind is a monumental work which vibrates with energy and draws the viewer in with the purity of its painterly expression. 1. Patrick McCaughey quoted in Heathcote, C., The Art of Roger Kemp, Macmillan, Melbourne, 2007, p. 168 2. Heathcote, C., A Quiet Revolution: The Rise of Australian Art 1946 – 1968, Text Publishing, Melbourne, 1995, p. 7 3. Heathcote, 2007, op. cit., p. 140 KIRSTY GRANT © Estate of Roger Kemp
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 29, 2022
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Untitled (Sequence Series) c1970s
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled (Sequence Series) c1970s synthetic polymer paint on paper on linen 147.5 x 215.5 cm
Menzies
May. 24, 2022
ROGER KEMP - UNTITLED - Oil on board
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) UNTITLED Oil on board 92 x 61cm $22,000/28,000
GFL Fine Art
Mar. 22, 2022
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled mixed media on paper
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Untitled mixed media on paper artist's name on gallery label verso 29.5 x 42cm PROVENANCE: Niagara Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Feb. 22, 2022
ROGER KEMP, BLUE DIMENSION, 1973 (ALSO KNOWN AS 'WHOLE')
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
ROGER KEMP (1908 - 1987) BLUE DIMENSION, 1973 (ALSO KNOWN AS 'WHOLE') synthetic polymer paint on canvas 171.0 x 175.5 cm signed and dated verso: Roger Kemp. / Australia / 1973 signed and inscribed with title on label verso: WHOLE / Roger Kemp bears inscription with title on stretcher bar verso: WHOLE PROVENANCE Realities Gallery, Melbourne Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne The National Australia Bank Art Collection, acquired from the above in 1976 (label attached verso) EXHIBITED Roger Kemp, Realities Gallery, Melbourne, 4 – 28 May 1976, cat. 3 (as ‘Blue Dimension’) The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries from the Collection of National Australia Bank, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 15 October – 28 November 1982 The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries from the Collection of National Australia Bank, Geelong Art Gallery, Victoria, 30 April - 29 May 1988 LITERATURE Lindsay, R., The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries from the Collection of National Australia Bank, The National Bank of Australasia, Melbourne, 1982, pl. 52, p. 65 (illus.) Taylor, P., Anything Goes: Art in Australia 1970 – 1980, Art & Text, Melbourne, 1984, p. 44 (illus.) Heathcote, C., The Art of Roger Kemp: A Quest for Enlightenment, MacMillan, Melbourne, 2007, p. 259 ESSAY Roger Kemp looms large in the history of twentieth century Australian art. Built around the fundamental geometric forms of the circle, the square and the cruciform, his bold abstractions are distinctive among the work of his peers. Richly infused with gesture, layered colour and texture, they simultaneously reveal the unique vision and hand of the artist, as well as the physicality of his process. Kemp’s purpose also set him apart. There is no narrative in his work, no obvious figuration or representational aim. He sought instead, to express a deeper meaning through his art, a personal perspective ‘that alluded to the timeless and universal, a means to articulate his experience of a higher truth.’1 At the end of the 1960s, Kemp and his family spent two years living in London. Working in a studio at S.P.A.C.E., a Victorian warehouse on the Thames, he was part of a community of committed, professional artists, some of whom shared his interest in abstraction, including fellow Australian, Peter Upward, and the renowned British Op artist, Bridget Riley. The space was vast and the scale of Kemp’s work increased accordingly. Often working on mural-like lengths of paper stapled to the wall, he used thick brushes and rollers to create monumental compositions, working freely, ‘without traces of mannerism, artifice or guile… There was no apparent struggle, no erasures or revisions.’2 Christopher Heathcote describes his working method, explaining that he would make a free preparatory sketch in pencil or conté to outline the composition before taking up his brush and improvising. Working throughout the day, he would continue to paint as it got dark, removing his glasses and working intuitively, ‘the composition was something felt… that had to be externalised. As long as he could tap a rhythm from within, he would keep working.’3 Dedicating himself to painting full-time from 1966, the 1970s was an important decade in Kemp’s career, which saw his practice widely acknowledged. His work was included in the inaugural Sydney Biennale (1973), he was awarded an OBE for services to Australian art in 1977, and in 1978, a group of works was acquired for the developing national collection. By this time, Kemp had also established a strong relationship with Marianne Baillieu, who ran Realities Gallery in Melbourne, and she ably and energetically championed his work, presenting it in successful commercial exhibitions and placing it in significant private and public collections. Blue Dimension, 1973, was included in his 1976 solo exhibition at Realities and shows Kemp working at his prime. A familiar geometry creates compositional structure – all outlined in black, a cruciform, series of small circles and a patchwork of rectangles are juxtaposed at various angles – but no single element takes precedence over another. Instead, each form is carefully balanced against the next, vibrating with movement and bringing the picture to life in a way that echoes the expressive energy of its painterly creation. 1. Heathcote, C., A Quiet Revolution: The Rise of Australian Art 1946 – 1968, Text Publishing, Melbourne, 1995, p. 7 2. See Heathcote, C., The Art of Roger Kemp, Macmillan, Melbourne, 2007, p. 140 3. Ibid., p. 142 KIRSTY GRANT © Estate of Roger Kemp
Deutscher and Hackett
Dec. 01, 2021
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987), Abstract
Est: $28,000 - $35,000
ROGER KEMP (1908-1987) Abstract synthetic polymer paint on canvas 157.0 x 212.0 cm signed on label attached verso: Roger. Kemp
Menzies