The graphic journey: Murray Griffin linocuts

© 1998 Alisa BunburyThis thesis presents the first thorough examination of the prints of Vaughan Murray Griffin (1901-1992), produced in Melbourne between the 1920s and the 1980s. The thesis incorporates a catalogue raisonne of the 144 prints. Although recognised as an important contributor to early twentieth century Australian relief printing, Griffin's work has received little attention in recent years. Griffin first experimented with printing techniques in the 1920s, before settling on linocuts as a enjoyable and profitable artistic production, a sideline to his oil landscape painting. From 1932 until the 1970s, Griffin produced an opus of colourful linocuts, created by a combination of multiple block and reduction processes. This production was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he served as an Official War Artist and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war in Changi, Malaya. The majority of the prints are decorative images of Australian native birds which were popular items from the Depression years well into the post-war period. However, in addition to these prints produced for the market, Murray produced a number of prints over the decades through which he developed and expressed personal ideas. These culminated in the 1960s group of prints which Murray called his 'Journey' series, representing his anthroposophical beliefs (based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner). The aim of this thesis is twofold: firstly, to provide a body of empirical data for the examination of Griffin's life and production and secondly, to analyse his prints in terms of wider social and artistic contexts. This analysis reveals that for a time he was at the forefront of Australian relief printmaking. Prints produced after the Second World War remained successful in the 1950s and 1960s, but have received minimal retrospective attention. This neglect was exacerbated by Griffin's involvement in anthroposophy and the intensely personal visual depiction of his beliefs