29 May - 23 June 2024
Opening: Saturday 1 June, 2-4pm

Offered for the first time in 25 years, kellilundberg.art proudly presents an extraordinary compilation of works from the private collection of Drew Ilsley, Melbourne. Reflecting a collector’s commitment to contemporary art, diverse stylistic leanings, an astute eye and a long-running relationship with the esteemed Christine Abrahams Gallery, Richmond through which his collection was largely acquired, The Ilsley Collection is a rich documentary on both art and culture.

Featuring works on paper, photography and paintings by Thornton Walker, Ildiko Kovacs, Denise Green, Max Dupain, Matthew Johnson, Deborah Halpern and Jeff Carter, The Ilsley Collection is a rare glimpse into an important and diverse assemblage of contemporary Australian art.

ARTWORK ENQUIRIES

kellilundberg.art 
The Studio & Co.
545 Mornington-Tyabb Road 
Moorooduc Vic 3934

  • Thornton Walker, Seven Stacked Bowls, 2000
    Thornton Walker
    Seven Stacked Bowls, 2000
    Watercolour
    65 x 56cm
    Frame: 91 x 81cm
  • Thornton Walker, Grid (Chinese Bowls) I, 1999
    Thornton Walker
    Grid (Chinese Bowls) I, 1999
    Gouache & watercolour on paper
    90.5 x 74.5 cm
    Frame: 103 x 87.5 cm
    Sold
  • Thornton Walker, Composition with 2 Bowls, 1998-99
    Thornton Walker
    Composition with 2 Bowls, 1998-99
    Oil on canvas
    137 x 168 cm
    54 x 66 1/8 in
    Sold
  • Ildiko Kovacs, Untitled, 2000
    Ildiko Kovacs
    Untitled, 2000
    Oil paint on card mounted on canvas on plywood
    76 x 86 cm
    $ 12,000.00
    Sold
  • Denise Green, Veiling, 1993
    Denise Green
    Veiling, 1993
    Oil on canvas
    165 x 165 cm
    65 x 65 in
    $ 23,500.00
    Sold
  • Max Dupain, Magnolia, 1982
    Max Dupain
    Magnolia, 1982
    Silver gelatin print.
    36 x 46 cm
    Frame: 60 x 70 cm
    Edition 18 of 90.
    $ 5,000.00
  • Max Dupain, The Sunbaker, 1937
    Max Dupain
    The Sunbaker, 1937
    Silver gelatin print.
    37.5 x 42 cm
    Frame: 51 x 69 cm
    Edition 60 of 90
    $ 15,000.00
  • Deborah Halpern, Three People and the Moon
    Deborah Halpern
    Three People and the Moon
    Ink on paper
    78 x 105 cm
    Frame: 102.5 x 129.5 cm
    $ 4,500.00
    Sold
  • Deborah Halpern, The Wave, 1995
    Deborah Halpern
    The Wave, 1995
    Lithograph
    43 x 33 cm
    Frame: 72.5 x 62 cm
    Edition 4 of 40
    $ 1,300.00
  • Jeff Carter, Cattle Sale, Wangaratta, Vic., 1956
    Jeff Carter
    Cattle Sale, Wangaratta, Vic., 1956
    Black and white photograph
    28 x 28 cm
    Frame: 41 x 51 cm
    $ 5,900.00
  • Jeff Carter, The Picnickers, Wanda, 1965
    Jeff Carter
    The Picnickers, Wanda, 1965
    Black and white photograph
    38 x 56.5 cm
    Frame: 61 x 80.5 cm
    $ 7,900.00
  • Matthew Johnson, Evaporation I, 2001
    Matthew Johnson
    Evaporation I, 2001
    Oil on linen
    152 x 170cm
A collector walks into an art gallery...

And so begins a relationship that can last for years, bringing engagement, discussion, challenges and rewards for the collector, the gallerist, and of course the artists.

Looking back at my time as a Gallery Director, I recall with fondness the special group of collectors who had both the passion and curiosity to create their own vision by collecting artworks that brought them joy and stimulated their imaginations. One such collector was Drew Ilsley. Over time Drew gathered a group of artworks that were linked by an almost harmonic reverberation.

Covering a broad variety of mediums - paintings, ceramics, photography, prints, and watercolours – Drew collected works by Thornton Walker, Ildiko Kovacs, Matthew Johnson, Deborah Halpern,Denise Green, Max Dupain, and Jeff Carter. These artists were and remain highly regarded, and I had the privilege of representing them all at Christine Abrahams Gallery with the empathetic help of my Associate Director, Kelli Hulyer (Lundberg).

For me, seeing these works again after more than 20 years is both reassuring, and heart-warming. Reassuring because the qualities that attracted me (and Drew) to these artists and these works continue to shine through. They are works by artists who were confident in their vision and compelling in their realisation. Heart-warming because after all this time the discerning collector, these fabulous artworks and the somewhat older gallerists have been re-united in a new gallery with a fine pedigree and a strangely familiar name!

Enjoy the show.


Guy Abrahams, May 2024


STATEMENT OF PROVENANCE
All artworks were acquired by the current owner, Drew Ilsley from Christine Abrahams Gallery, Richmond between 1998-2004 and have been held privately by the collector since this time.