The Lost Modernist: Michael O'Connell

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: 'The Lost Modernist' exhibition was the culmination of three years intensive research into the life and work of pioneering modernist English-Australian textile artist Michael O'Connell. Harriet Edquist discovered O'Connell's work while reading 1920s and 30s home and design magazines. On a subsequent research trip to England, Edquist unearthed a hitherto neglected archive of O'Connell's fabrics, photos and diaries. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: For 'The Lost Modernist' Edquist eventually located almost 40 pieces of textile art. The exhibition demonstrated how these pieces, made in O'Connell's Barbizon studio in Beaumauris, helped shape the development of modernism in Australia. It built on Edquist's earlier publication 'Pioneers of Modernism: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Australia (2008)' and created new knowledge about the history of modernist art and restored the reputation of an important artist who had become marginal, if not forgotten. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of Harriet Edquist's 'Lost Modernist' exhibition and catalogue is demonstrated by major feature articles and reviews in The Australian (Rosemary Sorenson, 'In search of the lost modernist of design', 24 Nov 2011); in Australian Book Review (Morag Fraser, 'To Barbizon', ABR July-August 2012); The Age (Lindy Percival, 'Lost modernist is found anew', 26 Nov 2011) and The Bendigo Advertiser (Rose Ellen, 'A neglected textile master', 25 Nov 2011). Bendigo Art Gallery is a major Australian regional gallery. Owned by the City of Bendigo, it is supported by the Victorian State Government , via Arts Victoria.