The Texture of Light: the life and art of Elioth Gruner

For Pride month hear about the life of Australia’s most important queer artist, Elioth Gruner, who was also a long-time resident of Waverley. Facilitated by Author and Gruner expert, Steven Miller.

When Elioth Gruner died in Waverley in 1939, at the age of 56, he was one of Australia’s most loved and successful landscape painters. His painting Spring Frost 1919, in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, is among the top 5 favourite Australian paintings of all time.

Gruner lived in the Waverley municipality for most of his life and painted wonderful impressions of its natural beauty and beach culture. He was a keen bodysurfer and went down to the water from his home in Tamarama as often as possible. Yet few know the fascinating, inspiring and sometimes tragic story of his life. Although he lived relatively openly with his same-sex partner, Gruner struggled with his sexuality and with real threat it posed to his acceptance within prejudiced Australian society of the time.

Light refreshments provided.