Frida Khalo and Ola Cohn; An Unforgettable Bendigo Bus Trip.
In celebration of 120 years since MSWPS first exhibition members were treated to a bus trip to Bendigo. Not only did we visit the Frida Khalo exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery, but we were also invited to view a collection of Ola Cohn’s artworks and memorabilia at the home of her relative, Leo Brunier and listen to a talk by his cousin Shelley Cohn. What a treat it was!
After a quick flit around the Khalo exhibition, we enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea served in the finest porcelain. It was wonderful to see the “family” collection of Ola’s sculpture, paintings and writing. Shelley gave us the inside running on Ola’s life and a recording of her talk was taken by Beatrice Magalotti.
Ola Cohn was born into a happy family in 1892 and lived in Bendigo where her father established a brewery. Her artistic talents were rewarded and she attended the best schools. According to sculpture aficionado Ken Scarlett, “In 1926 she went to London and attended the Royal College of Art where her lecturers included Henry Moore for sculpture. She enrolled in night classes in bronze casting at the School of Arts and Crafts, studied Egyptian, Assyrian and archaic Greek sculpture at the British Museum and travelled in Europe. In 1928 she was awarded a Royal College of Art free studentship; in 1929 she became an associate of the Royal College of Art”.
Ola sculpted in stone, wood, ceramic and bronze and developed her own style reducing the human form to simple masses which suited the materials used. In 1931 her first solo exhibition established her as a leading modern sculptor in Australia. She won several public art commissions; two seven-foot (2.1 m) sandstone figures for the new Royal Hobart Hospital, nineteen panels for the Mutual Life and Citizens building in Sydney (fourteen were designed by Murray Griffin) and in 1940-41 carved the limestone Pioneer Woman memorial statue, Adelaide.
Ola was president of MSWPS for 16 years from 1948 – 64! She was also a member of the Victorian Sculptors’ Society and Melbourne Contemporary Artists. Her work is well represented in public collections around Australia. Many of our members will remember visiting the Fairy Tree in the Fitzroy Gardens which she carved around 1930. She wrote books about this work and those who attended the afternoon tea were gifted a copy of three of her imaginative books about Fairy folk.
Ola’s excellent education and recognition of her talents encouraged her to develop her artistic style and gain a public profile. The vital support of her family resulted in her prolific output.
Frida and Ola were women of the twentieth century. They were both talented artists and widely travelled. Observing their work, the bearing early childhood and life’s experiences has on the style and subject matter expressed by each artist is apparent.
Frida Khalo contracted polio at an early age. She was bullied at school and in her teens, a bus accident landed her in hospital for a year with broken bones and severe lacerations. She said she was “impaled” by the accident and it had “taken” her virginity! She rose above tragedy and trauma and consistently projected an image of colour and style. She dressed in traditional Mexican clothes and chose her accessories carefully. Her hair was braided and adorned with colourful flowers or beads. Although memorable for her androgynous joined brows and “moustache”, femininity was the keynote of her fashion which also served to hide her many scars and disabilities.
Her marriage to the famous artist Diego Rivera gained her international recognition and connections to the art world. This was a fillip to her success as a woman artist. After her first exhibition in New York, the father of Surrealism, Andre Breton, described her art as “a ribbon around a bomb”. But a miscarriage, divorce and the death of her baby son added even more tragedy to her life. Diego treated her brutally and had sex with her sister! In spite of this, she re-married him a year later. It was no doubt a tough life for a single woman forced to rely on art for income.
It is fascinating to have the opportunity to look at the life of women artists in the context of their work. The members who came on the bus trip were doubly fortunate to learn more about Frida Kahlo and to view the work of Ola Cohn “up close and personal” in her families’ private collection. The differences between their work is striking!
A big thank you to Leo and Shelley for their hospitality and the opportunity to see more of Ola Cohn’s wonderful artworks. Ola’ s generosity in bequeathing MSWPS access to her East Melbourne home has hopefully guaranteed the survival of the Society by providing a venue for meetings and fostering relationships between women artists in the twenty first century. MSWPS is delighted to have ongoing contact with her family.
by Tessa Wallis
MSWPS Members with Leo Brunier and Shelley Cohn (2nd from left 2nd row)
