Noteable Australian Landscape artist
KEVIN BEST
ARTWORK HISTORY:
Our family is very much into "the Arts" in all it's forms, from music to art to chinaware and even classic old (quality) technology!
Our focus has always been landscapes, both Australian and New Zealand but over the years we also have collected some other "interesting" pieces of art that will be seeking new homes as well.
Back in the early 1980's we purchased a couple of Kevin Best's original oil paintings while in the Canberra area.
After almost 50 years of gathering together a LOT of Australian landscapes and beach scenes, it is time to move some of our artworks to new homes. Being a small painting this artwork suits a small home with a limited amount of empty wall space.
This artwork did actually cost us a lot all those years ago, incredibly the frame rear label has the price we paid for it (obscured for the photograph only) a paultry $80 (by today's standards this is a pittance for a Kevin Best original work) but way back then, $80 was big money to a young person. If you roughly extrapolate $80 from the 1980's to 'current money' (based on items roughly doubling every 7 years due to inflation) you end up with something that could have cost $1500+ in 'todays money' and I do see some extraordinary prices being asked for both originals AND prints of Kevin Best art.
Not only do his paintings appreciate in value but are appreciated artistically worldwide, his artworks being displayed in many board rooms, galleries, private collections etc
But for the true lover of art, although the money is a consideration (we still need to eat!) it is all about the art, the scene depicted and how the artist wanted us to see the subject through his (or her) eyes.
Kevin Best is very well known for his 'rays of light' artworks and although this painting also is showing the viewer light and how it plays on the scene, there are none of the famous 'light rays' - perhaps this was painted before he developed his signature rays of light art.
This quiet, tranquil scene of sheep on the move on a farm near Nimmitabel (ACT) is highlighting the early morning sun and the light effects on the grasses and the gumtrees to the left. Snowy Mountains on the horizon, just a few clouds - it looks to be the dawning of not a bad day although probably pretty cool. Nimmitabel is around 100Km from Perisher Valley by road.
KEVIN BEST:
Born in regional NSW (1932) and passed away quite recently (2012). He always had an appreciation for the natural beauty of the Australian bush, rural landscapes including farm scenes but he also captured non-bush settings with a number of subjects being beach scenes, children playing with that childhood air of innocence. He didn't make art his profession until around 1977, at which time he was 43, although since childhood he realised he had a special artistic talent. He became most well known for his use of light, particularly effects such as 'rays of light' from the sunlight shining down through the rural landscape.
He was a prolific artist, many of his original paintings are still to be found in the 'art marketplace' although as buyers purchase these very desirable artworks, the supply is dwindling as time goes on. So much so that the market prices are now quite high, and climbing. Even prints are expensive (in our opinion). A far cry from our original purchase price that's for sure!
There is plenty of other detailed (and mostly personal non-relevant information) online, you can take a look HERE if you wish to find out more about Kevin.
KEVIN BEST - The Snowy Mountains From Nammintabel
Circa late 1970's ~ 1980's
Based on when we obtained this artwork and the manner in which it is presented i.e this looks to be early use of sunlight and it's effect on the landscape being depicted AND the title is very different to later artworks, where Kevin would use artwork titles such as "Morning Light" or "Under The Bloodwoods" as two examples, the titles use quite different 'language' in later years, describing the scene instead of the geographical location.
Original Oil on board
Kevin Best has signed (but not dated) this artwork in the lower right-hand corner (brown)
Artwork measurements: 190mm wide x 142mm high
Frame measurements: 292mm wide x 244mm high
Frame is wooden with gold gilding
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Artwork is clean
Close inspection of the artwork reveals NO damage or paint degradation. This artwork has always been hung on our walls in an environmentally stable area (air-conditioned in other words) and not in direct sunlight!
The wooden frame is in very good condition, no joint splits although there is small damage to the bottom right corner of the FRAME (not the artwork)
Inner vinyl/cloth border is relatively clean but without 'spotting'
Nylon cord is stapled to the rear, ready to hang and be admired once again!
