The evocative nature of Gippsland, and its isolation by mountains, oceans, forests and swamps, has incubated a diverse yet distinctive body of artists.

Spirits in the Bush surveys the art of Gippsland, from the colonial to the contemporary. Expansive, original and illuminating, it leads readers on a journey through artistic and provincial history, interweaving the lives of residents and visitors. It paints a vivid picture of the influence of place on the cultural imagination.

Gippsland has been the setting for work by some of Australia's most-loved artists, including Eugene von Guerard, Jessie Traill, Arthur Streeton, Clarice Beckett, Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Fred Williams and Jeffrey Smart. Readers of this book will discover also a host of new names destined for recognition.

Author Simon Gregg reveals how artists have grappled with a region that is in equal measures beautiful and brutal and has been the stage for many of the key battles in Australian art history. Bound by geographical camaraderie, with the spectre of Gippsland's past an unwavering presence, the stories of their art unfold in a unique dialogue