Rex Wood

Rex Thomas Percy Reginald Wood (8 July 1909 – 1970) was a South Australian artist who spent much of his later life in Portugal.

History

Rex was born in Laura, South Australia, a son of Anglican minister Rev. T(om) Percy Wood (died 1957) and his wife Fannie née Newbury (died 1969). He was a brother of Thomas Percy Reginald Wood (6 April 1906 – ), Jack Newbury Wood (8 November 1907 – 1989) and Noel Herbert Wood (1 February 1912 – 10 November 2001).^[1] Their grandfather, Thomas Wood (c. 1854–1937) was also an Anglican minister in South Australia.

He studied painting at the South Australian School of Art under Mary Packer Harris (1891–1978), and was soon recognised as a pre-eminent realist in a wide variety of mediums. He was represented in a number of exhibitions alongside such luminaries as Ivor Hele and Hans Heysen. He began acting as art critic for The News in 1934, and his one-man exhibition in 1935 was well-received.^[2] He had another exhibition in 1937,^[3] at the eve of his departure for England and the Continent. He studied at the Anglo-French Art Centre at St Johns Wood and the Southampton Row School of Art. He spent much of the war years in Portugal, maintaining some contact with Australia, sending the occasional column to The News, and purchasing some works for the Art Gallery of South Australia.^[4] He failed to achieve any kind of fame or material success,^[5] returned to Australia in the mid-1950s^[6] but in 1957 went back to Portugal,^[7] where he died in 1970.

Works

• A painting by Rex Wood was held by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
• The Wind, a painting by Rex Wood, is held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales
• A drawing Flowers is held by the University of New South Wales Art Gallery.
• The Hamilton Gallery of Hamilton, Victoria has a portrait Vera Van Ry by Rex Wood
• The State Library of South Australia has a photograph and oil painting (1964) of Josephine Piazza "Madame Josephine", both by Rex Wood.^[8]
• These Little Things, a book of poems by Patricia Hackett, contained five illustrations by Wood.

References

1. A great many references have Rex Wood born in 1908 and some say the eldest son.
2. "Exhibition Of Works Of Rex Wood". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 26 June 1935. p. 16. Retrieved 31 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Arresting Work by Rex Wood". The News (Adelaide). XXIX, (4,461). South Australia. 9 November 1937. p. 9. Retrieved 31 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
4. ""Nude," New London Purchase, At Gallery Soon". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 14 June 1946. p. 12. Retrieved 31 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "S.A. Artist Fined In London". The Advertiser (Adelaide). 89, (27392). South Australia. 22 July 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 31 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Rex Wood". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
7. Alan McCulloch, Encyclopedia of Australian Art, first edition 1968; Hutchinson of London
8. "Josephine Piazza". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2016.