The genesis of our world-class contemporary international print collection took place in 1973, almost a decade before the National Gallery of Australia opened to the public. Following the recommendation of art critic and writer Robert Hughes to the Master Printer, Kenneth Tyler, that he approach the fledgling Gallery, great riches arrived. In a recent significant gift and purchase this initial acquisition has been augmented to form an extra-ordinary storehouse of major works by major artists of the contemporary period produced at the Tyler workshops from the 1960s to the present day. A selection is featured in the exhibition The Big Americans: Albers, Frankenthaler, Hockney, Johns, Lichtenstein, Motherwell, Rauschenberg and Stella, at the Gallery from 4 October 2002 to 27 January 2003. The Big Americans explores the different ways in which these artists each worked at the world renowned Tyler studios, and includes major works from the Gallery's rich collection of editioned original prints, screens, paperworks, illustrated books and multiples, along with rare or unique proofs and drawings.