{"product_id":"margaret-preston-9781760766153","title":"Margaret Preston","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs one of the most influential Australian artists of the early twentieth century, Margaret Preston transformed the visual language of the nation through a practice that was both technically innovative and visually unforgettable. Her still lifes, particularly her iconic depictions of Australian native flowers, are extraordinary for their bold compositions and sophisticated use of colour. Banksias, waratahs and gum blossoms become powerful design elements in her hands: rhythmic, graphic and unmistakably modern.\u003cbr\u003eWorking across painting, printmaking and decorative arts, Preston continually experimented with materials and technique, forging a distinctive aesthetic that drew from international modernism while seeking to define a uniquely Australian visual identity.\u003cbr\u003eThis landmark publication brings together key works and new scholarship in an in-depth survey of Preston's career. It sheds new light on her artistic networks, her complex relationship with First Nations visual culture, and her enduring influence on Australian art and design.\u003cbr\u003eWith contributions from leading writers and curators, including Jennifer Higgie, Geoffrey Batchen and Lisa Slade, this book reveals an artist of remarkable vision: one who reimagined  the world around her through a distinctly Australian lens, and whose work continues to shape how we see beauty, colour and culture today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781760766153\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 01 Sep 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: Fisherman's Bend, Australia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 30.1(H)x23.5(L)x3.2(W)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBeckett Rozentals\u003c\/b\u003e  is Senior Curator of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. Rozentals completed her Master of Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne in 2009 and commenced working at the NGV the same year. Rozentals has worked as curator on numerous exhibitions for the NGV, including \u003ci\u003eRobert Jacks: Order and Variation \u003c\/i\u003e(2014), \u003ci\u003eHard Edge: Abstract Sculpture \u003c\/i\u003e(2016), \u003ci\u003eThe Field Revisited \u003c\/i\u003e(2018), \u003ci\u003eFound and Gathered: Rosalie Gascoigne | Lorraine Connelly-Northey \u003c\/i\u003e(2021), WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture (2022), Melbourne Now (2023), Grace Crowley | Ralph Balson (2024) and Margaret Preston (2026). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Gentle \u003c\/b\u003eis a former Curator of First Nations and Australian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. He is a Noongar man with Ancestral connections to Minang Country and English convicts. His research and curation explore national identities, constructions of the environment and the 'Indigenization' of the nation state. In 2025, Michael was awarded the Australia-at-Large Rhodes Scholarship for Oxford University, where he is now continuing his research in Australian and First Nations art.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"National Gallery of Victoria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49241063391449,"sku":"9781760766153","price":79.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781760766153.jpg?v=1789264516","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/margaret-preston-9781760766153","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}