Fo
odiesC
Cel
ebrated forhervibrantanddistinctivepicturesofind
igenousflowers,artistMargaretPrestonwasanequallycol
ourfulandoutspokenpersonality.Lesswellknown isherleg
acyasagenerousand insightful teacherandkeencook,and
herdeepsenseofcivicduty.Shewaspassionateaboutthe
need foramodernnationalculture that reflectedeverydaylife.
ForPreston, thebuildingblocksofsuchaculturewerenot
tobe found in theAustralianpastoral landscape tradition,but
in thehomeandgarden.Maintaining thatartshouldbewit
hineveryone’s reach,shepublishedwidelyon themethodsand
techniquesofahostofcreativepursuits—frompottery,pri
ntmakingandbasketweaving, to thegentleartofflowerarr
anging.Shedevotedmuchofhercareer to thegenreofstill
life,depictinghumbledomesticobjectsandflowersfro
mhergarden,andoftenpainting in thekitchenwhilekee
ping ‘oneeyeon thestew’.Drawingon recipes fromhandwrittenbooks found in the
NationalGalleryofAustraliaand richly illustratedwith
Preston’spaintings,printsandphotographs thisbooksheds
new lighton the fascinatingprivate lifeofamuch-loved
Australianartist.
LesleyHarding isacuratoratHeideMuseumofModernArt.
ShehaswrittenseveralbooksonAustralianartandsocialhistory, inc
ludingCubism&AustralianArt
(withSueCramer),
Sunday’sKitche
n:FoodandLivingatHeide
,
Sunday’sGarden:GrowingHeide
and
M
odernLove:TheLivesofJohnandSundayReed
(allwithKendrah
Morgan).Cover images
Frontcover:
Still life
1925,oiloncanvas,
50.5×50cm,NationalGalleryofAustralia
Backcover:
Still life
1927, (untraced),
oiloncanvas, reproduced in
Art in
Australia
,December 1927
Frontflap:
Selfportrait
1930,oiloncanvas,
61.3×51.1cm,ArtGalleryofNewSouthWales
Backflap:
Birdofparadise
1925,woodcut,
hand-coloured,39.7×42.6cm,National
GalleryofAustralia
ART /FOODMUP_PRESTON_COVER-CMYK_prepress_2016-06-28_r01.indd 1
29/06/2016 9:38PM
The Artists’ and Writers’
Cookbook: A Collection
of Stories with Recipes
rrp
$49.95
Inflatable
Watermelon Sea
trrp
$49.95
Pancakes!
An Interactive
Recipe Book
rrp
$19.95
The Grain Bowl
rrp
$45.00
China: The Cookbook
rrp
$59.95
Del Kathryn Barton Tea Towel
Third Drawer Down X Del
Kathryn Barton
rrp
$45
Black
Coffee
Mugrrp
$29.95
Margaret Preston: Recipes
for Food and Art
rrp
$45
Smith & Daughters:
A Cookbook (That
Happens to be Vegan)
rrp
$48
Shit Rainbow,
Never Stop Lurning
& Positive Energy
Coasters
rrp
$6.95 ea