Exhibition review: Colin Lanceley Earthly Delights, NAS

Blurring painting and sculpture, Colin Lanceley’s retrospective maps the journey of Australian assemblage through a unique vision.

Some years back, the paintings and prints of Colin Lanceley (1938–2015) had fallen out of fashion, often picked up on the secondary market circuit.

‘Taste’ is a strange thing when it interrupts art history. But this survey exhibition is testament to the sticking power of Lanceley’s role in shaping a unique Australian language, despite the erratic waves and troughs of fashion.

Colin Lanceley: Earthly Delights is a major retrospective, fittingly at the National Art School. Lancelely was a student there in the 1950s. And while he lived abroad during the 60s and 70s, he returned to Australia in the 80s to pick up at NAS – this time as a teacher – and later as Chairman of the Advisory Board and Fellow.

Article by: Gina Fairley. Image: Colin Lanceley – Earthly Delights, installation view NAS Gallery 2022. Photo ArtsHub.