Bernard Hardy, Woolwinder

Bernard Hardy, Woolwinder

Biography:

'Art cannot be defined. Art's form and content through its manifestations are so varied, except to say that its principal characteristic is its power to move our feelings beyond its material components in such a way as to excite wonder, a sense of the strange, an awareness of the shaping powers of an artists as image maker'. ^[1]

Although Bernard Hardy grew up in Melbourne and undertook studies at the University of Melbourne, much of his life has been spent in Canberra. Hardy completed a BA at the Australian National University, a Diploma n Fine Art at the Canberra Institute of the Arts, and a Master of Fine Art at the College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales. He has lectured at the Canberra Institute of the Arts, Australian National University; the University of Canberra; and the Canberra Institute of Technology.

As a practitioner, Hardy has exhibited regularly since 1972.

His works are held in the Australian National Gallery, The Australian National University and in private collections in Australia, USA and in Europe.

Artwork:

A still life composed of an everyday object, a wool or yarn winder, which helps to create skeins of yarn for easy setting, washing or hand-dyeing.  Hardy articulates the scene by way of a series of block colours and shapes, and patterns.  The work is typical of Hardy’s long standing intrst in abstracted still life and realism.