A Table of One's Own: the creative life of Anne McCahon

Abstract

Trained in the 1930s, Anne McCahon (nee Hamblett – 1915-1993) emerged as part of a lively South Island art scene, often venturing into the countryside on painting trips with fellow artists Doris Lusk, Toss and Edith Woollaston, and her soon-to-be husband, Colin. Anne was a significant presence in what is now known as McCahon House, where the family lived from 1953-59, running the household, hosting guests and supplementing the family income through illustration work. The exhibition title comes from a story her children would tell, in which they recall arriving home to find their mother packing away illustration materials from the all purpose family table.