John Burge
Copyright
© 2004 Pollock Gallery
John Burge is currently exhibiting at Pollock Gallery.
The figurative artist has just completed his first retrospective
exhibition at the Victorian Artists Society Galleries in East Melbourne. It has
been his first Melbourne show in thirty-six years and ranged from 1975 till the
present. The nine panel ' Bluebeard's Castle ' - a free adaption of Bela
Bartok's 1918 opera - was seen for the first time in it's entirety.
As the artist reflected before the exhibition, " It's all
there, of course, the tears, the laughter and the whole mad giddying ride
".
He had previously exhibited in Melbourne in 1972 at the Warehouse
Galleries in Richmond and, according to some, provided one of the most
memorable and notorious openings of the time.
John then moved to Europe and lived for twelve years in the
Catalan village of Ortedo, deep in the Spanish Pyrenees, exhibiting in
Barcelona during the dying years of the Franco regime.
He later showed in Amsterdam and Munich, exhibiting with Dali,
Vasarely, Magritte and Fontana before a critically acclaimed exhibition at the
Stedelijk Museum, Alkmaar. Despite forthcoming contracted exhibitions, family
circumstances meant a reluctant return to Australia.
Through the mid-eighties and nineties he moved into book
illustration and became involved with art education in schools. Over the last
three years John has returned to full-time art.
John Burge’s web site can be viewed at www.johnburgeart.com.au
Click on an image for a
larger view… for any information call or e-mail
us
|
La Belleza Watercolour & mixed media on
paper 53 x 94 cm |
|
|
Sangre de Toro Watercolour on paper 51 x 71 cm |
|
|
Success & Failure Oil on canvas 51 x 67.5 cm |
|
|
The Way it is. Oil & Mixed Media on canvas on
board 100 x 150 cm |
|
|
La Comedia del Corazon Imprudente Watercour & Mixed Media on
paper 100 x 150 cm |
|
|
La Comedia de Proposito Dudoso Watercolour & Mixed Media on
paper 62 x 91 cm |
|
|
La Comedia De le Capitulation Watercolour & Mixed Media on
paper 52 x 71 cm |
|
|
Elizabeth Oil on Canvas 122 x 101.5 cm |
|
|
Clerk of the Course Watercolour & Mixed Media on
paper 60 x 94 cm |
|
|
Chani Oil on Canvas 123 x 101.5 cm |
|
|
And They Call It Love Watercolour & Mixed Media on
paper 59 x 93 cm |
|
|
Calle De Paradis Watercolour on paper 57 x 96 cm |
|
|
Cry Baby Cry Watercolour & Mixed Media on
paper 49 x 72 cm |
|
|
The Fifth Door (From Blubeards Castle) Oil on canvas on board 137.5 x 167 cm |
|
John
Burge – Biography
Born
1951 in Mornington, Victoria.
Educated
at Peninsula Grammar, Mt Eliza
Solo
Exhibitions
1970 Munster Arms Gallery, Melbourne
1972 Warehouse Galleries, Richmond,
Victoria
1976
Galeria Magic, Andorra La Vella, Andorra
1976 Ateneo Barcelones, Barcelona, Spain
1978 Galerie Galijoen, Den Bosch, Holland
1980 Stedelijk Museum, Alkmaar, Holland
2008 Victorian Artist Society Galleries, East Melbourne
Group
Exhibitions
1977
Kunstverein, Munchen, Munich, Germany
1979 Galerie Mathilde, Amsterdam, Holland with
Dali, Vasarely, Magritte,
Fontana
2007 Gallery 69, Fitzroy, Victoria
2007 Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, Victoria
2008
Pollock Gallery, Richmond, Victoria
Collaborations
1978
Lithographic editions with Benito
Marcos, Sostres SL. Barcelona
1979 Book illustration with Ricardo Recio, Editorial Grijalbo, Barcelona
1981
First return to Australia, began book illustration and cover art for:
Hyland House
Penguin Australia
Longman Cheshire
Edward Arnold Australia
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich Australia
Jacaranda Wiley
Macmillan Co. of Australia
Lothian Books
John Wiley & Sons
Reed Books