After studying screen printing at the National Art School in Sydney (1970 -1973), Sally Robinson embarked on her art career producing 70 screen print editions over the next two decades. Copies of these prints were acquired by public and private collections throughout Australia.
Robinson’s silk screen prints from the 1970s and 80s vividly capture everyday Australian life—birds, animals, beaches, deserts, and suburban scenes—rendered in intensely bright colours that border on the surreal. These works, although depicting ordinary subjects, still stand out for their eye-catching brilliance, a stark contrast to the more politically charged artworks of her contemporaries at the time. While others focused on themes like women’s liberation and Aboriginal rights, Robinson’s prints celebrated leisure and local wildlife, often with a twist that adds a layer of humour or commentary.
Her tenure at the Australian Museum from 1974 to 1983 deeply influenced her subject matter, exposing her to natural history collections that inspired her distinctive portrayals of Australian flora and fauna. For instance, in “Wildlife Sanctuary” (1978), a cockatoo appears trapped, attempting to escape a wire enclosure, while “Seagulls” (1980) humorously depicts birds monopolizing a beach under a sign claiming no inspector is on duty.
Robinson’s versatility extended beyond wildlife to human subjects, capturing moments akin to candid snapshots in works like “Beach Crossing” (1976) and “Bondi Bowling” (1977), each imbued with a sense of realism and spontaneity.
One of her standout pieces, “Halley’s Comet” (1986), merges the celestial with the mundane, depicting an aircraft’s undercarriage ascending against the backdrop of Halley’s Comet descending through the night sky over Sydney—an image that resonates with ambiguity and metaphor.
In the 1990s, a visit to Antarctica inspired Robinson to produce a series of prints renowned for their clarity and grandeur, showcasing her ability to capture vast landscapes with unparalleled observation, often in combination with historical details. “Mawson” (1993) combines an aerial view of the Australian Antarctic Station with historical photographs and Mawson’s map of exploration.
Transitioning from printmaking to painting by the turn of the century, Robinson embarked on a new phase in her career, focusing on portraiture. Her portraits, characterized by a realistic likeness coupled with experimental surface treatments reminiscent of pointillism, have garnered significant acclaim. These later works reveal a maturation and technical refinement but Robinson’s screen prints, embodying an iconic vibrancy, remain unforgettable.
