Born of Slovenian parents in Trieste, Stanislaus Rapotec moved to Adelaide in the late 1940s. One of the leading exponents of Abstract Expressionism in Australia, the first significant recognition for his talent came with a controversial win of the Blake Prize for religious art in 1961, the first abstract painting to be the recipient of this prize. Untitled (Hephaestus) is a fine example of the spirituality that dominated Rapotec’s artmaking throughout his painting career, it is religiosity that is not necessarily limited by Judeo-Christianity but also includes the myths of ancient Greece. Rich reds seemingly explode beyond the rectangular frame of the painting, an effect which is further enhanced through the use of roughly ground pigment to create texture on the board. The composition doesn’t aim to represent anything material but instead aims to capture, through gesture in paint, the intangible essence of Hephaestus the mythical God of fire and metal craftsmanship, otherwise known as the celestial artist.

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