Australian (b. 1957)
Unrequited (2009)
Hand-drawn lithograph
45.5cm by 27cm
Edition of 40
Signed and dated ‘Clinch ’09’ lower right
Provenance:
Robert Clinch, Melbourne
Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above
Exhibited:
‘Solitary Perspectives‘, Shepparton Art Gallery, Shepparton, 2009 (another example)
‘Lithographs, Drawings & Egg Tempera‘, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, 2009 (another example)
‘Themes & Variations‘, Manningham Gallery, City of Manningham, 2010 (another example)
‘Robert Clinch‘, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, 2011 (another example)
‘Parallel Lines; Recent work by Robert Clinch and Peter Serwan‘, Riddoch Gallery, Mt Gambier, 2011 (another example)
‘Robert Clinch: Fanfare for the common man‘, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat; Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong, 2013 (another example)
‘Robert Clinch: Sounds of Silence‘, The National Museum in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland, 2014 (another example)
‘Unrequited’ can be read as a companion piece to ‘Romeo and Juliet‘ in some ways, however in this instance is the depiction of a doomed lover. The issue in this work is not merely a family name, but a one-sided love affair. The opened window in the top register is reminiscent of Romeo’s appeals to Juliet from below. However, here the suitor has presumably been rejected and the flowers left on the bus stop bench serve as a solemn testimony for the spurned lover. The elongated picture plane highlights the distance between the flower-bearer and the inhabitant. There are no steps or even vines that could offer an ascent and emphasise the unattainable nature of the assumed figure behind the glass. It is remarkable that such a subtle work can convey such emotional tension. Clinch’s ability to invite us into a narrative and contemplate the events behind a picture is unmatched.