Lovers and Others

This candidly written memoir, enlivened by the author's impish sense of humour, narrates the way in which, by chance and circumstance, Tom Lowenstein placed his career at the service of the Australian art world. The book describes Lowenstein's numerous David and Goliath battles with the Australian Government and the Australian Tax Office for a greater understanding and fairer treatment of the unique set of circumstances and numerous challenges faced by the country's creative sectors. Lowenstein's interactions with his colourful and gregarious clients took him frequently out of the comfort of the corporate environment into the artists' homes and studios. The personalities of Charles Blackman, Colin Lanceley, Margaret Olley, John Olsen, Garry Shead, Tim Storrier, and many other luminaries of the art world are vividly brought out with unique insights and unexpected angles. The book is richly illustrated with photographs from Lowenstein's personal archives documenting his long-standing friendships and reflecting its heady mixture of accounting, art, and wine.