Chris Siemer (also known as Christian Emil Siemer) was born in Adelaide on 22 November 1874 to German immigrant parents Chris Emil Siemer (1841 – 1919) and Emilie Siemer (1841 – 1937). His mother Emilie was an interesting and accomplished person, who graduated from Adelaide University at 64 and published two books at 74. In her younger years she was Secretary of the Working Women’s Trade Union in South Australia and was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and equality in the workplace.
Siemer studied under William Joseph Wadham (1863-1950) and Alfred Sinclair Wadham (1866 – 1938) over 1893 / 1894 at the very least, at the prestigious Wadham and Sinclair’s School of Art in Adelaide. Siemer won first prize at a student exhibition in 1894 for his painting “Mist, Port River.” Another early painting “A winter scene in the hills,’ also an exhibition prize winner, was acquired by the Port Adelaide Gallery in 1895 (noting the gallery closed during the twentieth century). Siemer then travelled to Europe in 1895 / 1896 to further his artistic training, or as one critic put it “…in search of the artistic and has visited many of the leading studios in the old world.” He returned from Europe to Adelaide by early 1899. As he was starting to make a significant name for himself in the Australian art scene, he left for New Zealand across 1901 / 1902 to be with his soon to be New Zealand wife and to start a family. On 18 March 1903 he married Sissy had a daughter Olga shortly after and then a son also named Christian Emil Siemer (jnr). Sissy sadly died in 1904 shortly after their second child was born. Siemer then moved with the children back to South Australia shortly after Sissy’s death. He then settled in Los Angeles in 1906 (or 1913) and remained a resident there until he passed away on 6 February 1940.
Siemer had a distinct impressionist style that pushed boundaries, particularly towards the end of the nineteenth century. As early as 1894, when he was still a student, a critic noted “…that of Mr C Siemer claims attention…he is evidently pleased with a broad suggestive style, for all of his pictures are so painted. Whether this is wise for a beginner to aim at a breadth and dash that is generally looked upon as a sequel to ripe experience is a question that Mr Siemer has evidently solved in a manner to the greatest authorities on art: but his pictures are clever, are what one would suppose he wished, and are decidedly marked by originality.” A critic reviewing an 1896 exhibition noted “Amongst the exhibits that will command attention, and elicit blame and praise and varied speculation, it is safe to prominently place those by …C Siemer.” Another critic reviewing a 1900 exhibition states “…after an absence of years (due to Siemer’s stay in Europe), has returned to Adelaide a better artist when he left it…he has travelled a good deal, and there can be no question that were he to apply himself to art seriously, he would speedily take a prominent place among Australian artists. His leanings are strongly in favour of the French school, or what is generally understood to be the French style, and his “Under the Pines” contains work that could only be expected from one much more experienced and advanced in the realms of art.” Siemer’s individual / non-conforming style commanded attention in this era.
Siemer exhibited frequently in Australia across 1893 – 1900, including at early student exhibitions, with the Adelaide Easel Club and the South Australian Arts Society. Critics enjoyed the work of Siemer, with typical feedback including the following quote from the 1900 Easel Club exhibition “…this picture shows that he made good use of his time in the gay capital (Paris). The limpidity of the water and the sensation of sunshine have been splendidly secured, and the picture is one that will give pleasure to those who look on Mr. Siemer as one of our promising artists.” He also exhibited at the Federal Exhibition of 1900, and even with other esteemed artists such as Long, Mather, McCubbin and Teague exhibiting, he attracted critical review, with one writing “Chris Siemer has produced a work of considerable power in “A Swagman.”” Siemer’s work attracted the attention of art critics whenever he exhibited. Siemer was one of South Australia’s young shining stars by the year 1900, before heading overseas, in the first instance to be with his soon to be New Zealand wife and to start a family.
After the tragedy of his new wife Sissy passing away and being a widower looking after his two children, Siemer’s big career break came during his time in the USA. Available information indicates Siemer moved to the USA in either 1906 or 1913. Very little information is currently known of Siemer’s activities from 1913 to 1925. However, from 1925 his artistic career flourished and he became known as “…one of the west’s best known painters”. By 1925, he had received a one-year contract from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce to paint forty-seven panoramas of Southern California to decorate the ground-floor display space of the Chamber’s new quarters on Twelfth Street. Siemer’s contract seems to have been repeatedly renewed, as he continued to paint canvases for the Chamber up until the time of his death, leading him to be termed locally as “The Chamber of Commerce Artist” per Richard Reitzel, et.al., Art at the Jonathan Club, LA: Jonathan Art Foundation, 2010. Well known US art historian Nancy Mourne also supplied the following newspaper extracts mentioning Siemer’s work:
“Chamber Retains Popular Artist” to paint dioramas for L A C of C, PSN, Jan. 10, 1925, p. 31;
“Oil Painting of Bridge Showing: Canvas by Chris Siemer Goes All Over Nation,” PSN, Aug. 27, 1927, p. 29;
“Noted Artist for Paintings. Chris Siemer is one of the west’s best-known painters. The air view paintings of Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and the other paintings used to represent this county at the land show will be on exhibit in various places throughout the county after the close of the show in Los Angeles,” From the 7-volume set “Art and Photography” of the Central Coast, PSCA, vol. 13, nos. 1-7. SLO DT, Feb. 5, 1930, p. 3.
Siemer was a member of the Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles and his exhibitions included the Century of Progress Fair: Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939 and the California State Fairs; Del Mar Fairgrounds, 1940.
Three of Siemer’s paintings are held by the Jonathan Art Foundation in Los Angeles.
Siemer passed away on 6 February 1940 in Los Angeles aged 66, USA leaving daughter Olga and son Christian (also referred to as “Jim”). Records indicated he painted until his death. His paintings are still in significant demand to the present day.
- Writers:
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- Date written:
- 2023
- Last updated:
- 2023
