Due to popular demand we have the pleasure of inviting you to our second private screening of the film ‘Seeing From Within: The Life of Barbara Blackman’, a writer, muse, philanthropist and former wife of celebrated artist Charles Blackman. Her influence on his art during their thirty devoted years of marriage included the School Girl Series, the Alice in Wonderland Series, and many other images.

 The archival footage in Australia and overseas of Charles Blackman and his contemporaries is wonderful; they are all now famous Australian artists including a young Barry Humphries. There is great footage of a Blackman exhibition at The Victorian Artists Society in East Melbourne and of his studio in London and Paris.

 It is an inspirational film about Barbara Blackman, a brilliant and challenging intellectual who on many fronts has contributed to our thinking about art, music and philanthropy in this country. Though legally blind since university she saw blindness as a different way of seeing. Charles said “he had enough eyes for both of them”. He read the Russian and British classics to her while she supported the family as an artist’s model and used her intellect and organisational skills to give order to his life.

 The film opens with Barbara Blackman saying, “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth but with something much better… a question mark”.

“One life has many autobiographies,” she says, “It depends where you place a shaft of memory”.

 The director spent five years making this film. It is a gem and not to be missed!! Many thanks to those who supported the highly successful first screening.

 Funds raised will support mental health research by NARI National Ageing Research Institute.

 Details of the event and how to book are included in the attached flyer. Bookings can be made through Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/409025

In support of the Australian Ageing Research Foundation.
Includes pre-film drinks and sandwiches.
Q&A with the Director after the film.

See below link for The Canberra Times Interview:

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/barbara-blackman-seeing-from-within-20170613-gwqcbr.html

Portrait of Barbara Blackman at home in Canberra.
Photos: Rohan Thomson