Jean Euphemia Lang b. 1912

Also known as Mrs None Crowe
  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Ceramist),
  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
Jean Euphemia Lang was born in 1912. She was an illustrator, painter, china painter, potter, teacher and historian. In 1991 she was awarded Citizen of the Year for the Arts in Western Australia.
Tags: China painting, Pottery

Illustrator, painter, china painter, potter, teacher and historian was the daughter of the Reverend William R. Lang. She studied art at Perth Modern School under 'Prin’ Doreen Jones, then Marjorie Tarling and learnt china painting in the late 1920s from Lottie Lapsley at YWCA. Lang was a student at Perth Technical College between 1930 and 1935 under J. W. R. Linton and A. B. Webb. Lang also went to J. W. R. Linton’s private classes after 1931. Lessons were taken as they could be afforded.

In 1933 she exhibited one watercolour Still Life with the West Australian Society of Arts. In 1935 Lang exhibited a watercolour of Holy Trinity, York. The critic George Benson wrote of this, “though lacking in atmosphere, is yet interesting as a colour pattern.” She, like many in the depression years, worked at what she could; teaching at Koobeelya Anglican Girls School in Katanning, working at Calyx Porcelain and Paint factory, and drawing advertisements for Art Photo Engravers. At Calyx Lang’s task was gold lining. In her lunch hour she used their colours to make sample abstract designs for the factory.

After she was married she purchased their Calyx china to decorate for her children enlivening items such as porridge plates with nursery rhymes. During the war there was a quota on how much each shop could sell of certain items per week. This did not deter Lang who bought plain china from Boans department store. Her colours came from the Haidi Studio run by Helen Walker in the CML Building. The vogue for wildflower motifs on china was client driven.

During the war they sold everything they could manage to paint through the Haidi Studio, exhibitions at the annual Wildflower Shows in the Town Hall and through the windows of the jeweller Stewart Dawsons. Any china painter prepared to sell their work found a ready market. Lang also wrote and illustrated books for children in the 1940s when overseas books were not readily available here. The best known was With Bobby and Ann in Beeloo illustrated with Western Australian wildflowers.

Jean returned to exhibiting participating in an exhibition in 1952 with Eileen Keys, Mrs Lutz, Mrs Nancy Spaven, Mrs May Thomas and Mrs D. Utting. She also decorated a series of china with Aboriginal motifs for an exhibition at the Western Australian Women’s Society of Fine Arts and Crafts the following year. Lang said the motifs were chosen as an expression of nationalism – a way of being seen as Australian.

In 1956, with materials more readily available, Lang exhibited a variety of work with the Western Australian Society of Arts. Watercolour paintings, leatherwork, china painting, pottery, ceramic sculpture and weaving were all on display. She taught art at Methodist Ladies College, Claremont, Western Australia for nineteen years from c.1960s. She also commenced writing books on the history of Western Australia and became a member of the Fellowship of Writers (Western Australia Branch) and the Society of Women Writers.

In 1991 Lang was awarded Citizen of the Year for the Arts in Western Australia. Towards the end of her life she became blind which was a trial for her. She died on 7 August 2008, Mosman Park, Western Australia.



RED SECTIONS

Writers:
Dr Dorothy Erickson
Date written:
2010
Last updated:
2011