Summary

Bronze art medal titled 'Tree II' by Melbourne sculptor Michael Meszaros, 1985. Meszaros combined the tall straight trunk of an Australian mountain ash (eucalyptus regnans) with the leafless branches of a northern-hemisphere tree to create the 'ideal' tree. He used a fore-shortened perspective to fit the enormous trunk into the view of the medal, and the circular rim to describe the limits of the tree's canopy. The use of perspective is one the distinctive features of Meszaros' work, as is using the shape of the medal as in intrinsic part of the design.

Physical Description

Bronze medal with obverse image of a tree trunk stretching upwards into a network of stylised branches.

Obverse Description

Trunk of a tree stretching upward into stylised branches. Along trunk, MICHAEL MESZAROS.

Reverse Description

Plain

Significance

This is one of 44 art medals in the Museum's collection by Michael Meszaros, dated from 1960 through to 1987, which chart the evolution of a new phase of the medal tradition in Australia. While Australian medals have previously largely been commissioned works associated with official commemorations or major awards, these are personal artworks. In addition to their aesthetic value, they document nearly two decades of Australian life from a personal and popular point of view, drawing on cultural trends, sporting and leisure, and emerging issues such as environmentalism. This is a modern development in Australia, but it harks back to the European tradition, developed in the Renaissance, of medals as artistic works.

For over half a century, sculptors Andor (1900-1973) and Michael (1945- ) Meszaros have created medals that reflect the high points of life in Australia. From major awards and portraits of eminent Australians to artwork celebrating popular culture and the natural world, these objects illuminate our culture and history. Grounded in a centuries-old European art tradition, the medals create connections across disciplines and link such diverse subjects as scientific advances, religious themes, sport, the performing arts and motherhood. Through their public and private commissions and their personal artworks, the Meszaros sculptors have defined the modern Australian medal.

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