CENTER, ROMA (1919-2020)

"Still Life" (c.1950)
mixed media
36 x 28.5cm
signed lower right
*private collection, Sydney
 
Center was a respected Australian Modernist. From an early age she was interested in art, bolstered by parents who exposed her to art and encouraged her pursuits, allowing her at fifteen to leave school for art classes at the Melbourne Technical College, now RMIT. She was a member of George Bell Circle, growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone in a large rambling house skirt by bushland. Thompson’s practice moved between fine art, graphic and textile design. Here she met her future husband and fellow artist, Ronald Center, whom she married in 1954. She worked within the Australian textile industry, taught at universities and exhibited with the George Bell School, developing a style that put form to the rhythms of nature. She represents a distinct and highly collectable voice in Australian modernism with representation at Geelong Gallery, Queensland Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia.