- Art Collection Updates
- Works of Art
- Yvonne Audette, Sun's Rebirth
- G W Bot Hieroglyphs (Requiem)
- Arthur Boyd
- Alexander Boynes: Changing Places
- Robert Boynes, Observer and Observed
- Robert Boynes, Those Lifeless things
- Jan Brown, Magpies
- Hilary Crawford, Sugar Town and other works
- Fred Cress A Hidden Place
- Ray Crooke , The Islanders & Girl at Table
- Ante Dabro Reclining Figure
- Greg Daly Dawn & Dusk
- Neville Dawson: Dr Tom Calma
- Diane Firth, Bimbimbie
- Graham Fransella, Figure in the Sand
- Sally Gabori My Country
- Bernard Hardy, Canberra Series
- Bernard Hardy, Woolwinder
- Libby Hathorn by Myriam Kin-Yee
- Bevan Haywood Final Showdown
- Napanangka Katungka Kutjarr Kunya at Intinti
- Dale Huddleston, Mural
- Michael Johnson Ellamatta Mauve
- Abie Loy Kemarre Bush Medicine Leaf Dreaming
- Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Untitled, Awelye
- Warren Langley, The Collective Memory
- Doug Lawrie, Untitled Round Vase
- Michael Le Grand, Yo-yo.
- Sue Lovegrove: Vanishing #352
- Tim Maguire, Untitled
- Queenie McKenzie Mooloogoor Hills
- Ann Marie McMahon, The Two Walyers
- Sally Morgan The Circle and other works
- Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarii: Water Soakages near Nyrripi
- Walangkura Napanangka Kutungka Napanangka at Papunga
- Trevor Nickolls, Bird
- Sir Sydney Nolan: Night and Desert Landscapes
- Tiger Palpatja Wanampi Tjukurpa
- Ningura Papurrula Women's Ceremonies
- Peter Pedriau, Coverer in Yellow
- Minnie Pwerle, Women's Ceremonies
- William Robinson , Twin Falls
- Darby Jampijimpa Ross: Emu & Water Jukurrpa
- Tom Rowney, Black, White and Grey Merletto Bowl
- William Sandy, Bush Bean Dreaming
- Jörg Schmeisser, Here and Now, Echoes of the Past
- Brian Seidel, Autumn Pond and Tropical Pond
- Michael Taylor, Showers
- Imants Tillers: Home Visitation III
- Freddie Ngarrmaliny Timms, Mud Springs
- Mykal Zschech, various works
- Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono Mural paintings
- David Voigt Ravenhill Gate and other works
- George Gittoes, The Henna Tattoo
- Sydney Nolan: Mask VIII
- Judith Clingan, Shearing Top Naas
- Eris Fleming, Hillside Paddock
- GW Bot, Threnody
- Ante Dabro, Untitled Drawings
- Robin Nelson Drawings
- Colin Jordan, Intruder
- Stan De Teliga, Kydra River
- Dianne Firth, Black Opal
- Jack Featherstone, Alpine Ash Bark Painting
- Karla Dickens Second Skin
- One by Geoffrey Drake-Brockman
- Sculpture 19 by Derek F Wrigley
- Robin White wood cut series
- Graham Eadie,, Various works
- Peter Laverty, Seascape
- Paul Cavell, Postcard Incident
- Frank Hodgkinson, Black Cockatoo
- Brian Hirst Flat form Teal
- Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri Marrawa
- Tommy Watson, Untitled, 2013 & 2016
- Sándor Györfi, Ignaz Semmelweis sculplture
- Jimmy Baker, Kalaya Tjukurpa
- Ian Henderson, Where is your heart and other works
- Maringka Baker: Kalinpil
- David Miller: Inarki
- Robert Hannaford, Jean Blackburn
- Elizabeth Kruger: Blushing Banksias
- David Armfield, Morris's Vineyard
- Cecily Gibson, Untitled Stoneware Bowl
- George Baldessin, Ed25 & Untitled works
- Andrew Sibley, The Trolley Pushers and other works
- Keith Looby, Packaged Landscape
- David Rose- Magpie in Orange Tree
- Unknown artist: Japanese Wedding Kimono
- Salvatore Zofrea, Various Works of Art
- Basil Hadley: Over Under the Trees
- Dacre Henry Deudreath Smyth: Towards Captains Flat
- Nancy Parker, Main Street, Braidwood
- John Coburn, Various Works
- Geoffrey De Groen: Untitled
- Kenneth Jack: Normanton Station
- Elizabeth Rooney: Various Drawings
- Frances Jones: Still life works
- Margaret Olley: Interior
- Colin Moyston: Victoria Line
- Sven Hiroe: Various ceramic works
- Keiko Schmeisser: In the Fold and Stellar Reflections
- Les Blakebrough: In the Long Grass with Claudia Rose
- Anne Greenwood Untitled
- Bea Maddock Square II
- David Lu Spring Melody
- Cedric Flower Cooma Cottage and other works of art
- Sam Herman Red and Yellow Glass Vases
- Graham Kuo Harbour Mist and other Works
- David Schlunke Air
- Gillie and Marc: Love the Last Exhibition
- John Santry, Geese at Hill End
- Arthur Wicks, Stretcher
- Owen Piggott, Rock Platform
- Robert Pengiley, Various Works
- Heather Ellyard, Dust Storm
- Maximillian Feuering, Bellevue Hill Park
- William Fletcher, Banksia
- Richard and Dilys Brecknock, Various works
- Dick Roughsey, Various works
- Fred Jessup, Boats and Shells
- Jean Conron, Flower Study
- Kevin Conner, Self Portrait with Bird and other Works
- Charles Blackman, The Girl with Dark Plaits
- Reg Livermore: Hydrangea
- Frank Knight Red Kangaroo
- Brian Dunlop Various Works
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- Geoffrey De Groen: Untitled
Geoffrey De Groen: Untitled
Geoffrey De Groen Untitled
The Artist
Painter, teacher and art critic, Geoffrey De Groen was born in 1938 in Brisbane. His family moved to Sydney where Geoffrey grew up, where according to an article about the artist by Paull McGillick, the environment was devoid of art. He first began to look at art on weekend visits to the Art Gallery of NSW. Between 157 and 1965, he studied at the Julian Ashton Art School, and the National Art School where Wallace Thornton was a big influence.
In De Groen's generation, painting was a vocation. Being an artist was frowned upon because painting is a very speific discipline and the term artist seemed to suggest no discipline at all. Helped by the sale of a clutch of paintngs de Groen left Australia in 1969 to live and work in England, France and Canada before returning to Australia in 1973. For the next decade he taught at the National Art School in Sydney and the Canberra School of Art, was a well-known art critic and published two books of interviews with artists.
The sense that he was spreading himself too thin made him devote himself to painting full-time in 1985. In fact, the seeds of this went back to a visit to Japan in 1977 and a meeting with Father Joseph Love at Sophia University in Tokyo, who told him that talking about other people’s ideas means you have none of your own. ‘That’s why I quit teaching’, he says. ‘And I talked to an artist, Nakanishi, and he said: ‘never plan the end in the beginning’.’
Leaving teaching was the beginning of a process of withdrawal which culminated in de Groen leaving Sydney altogether in 1992 and moving to Taralga, a small town 40 kilometres inland from Goulburn in NSW. Although he is by nature gregarious and loves nothing more than robust discussion of art, music and literature, his move was about leaving the noise of the art world and the city in order to be able to focus exclusively on his work.
De Groen has exhibited between 1966 and 1991 over thirty exhibitions of his work including in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, London and in Canada. His works are represented in the Art Gallery of new South Wales, Queensland Art Gallery, New England Art Gallery, and in many corporate and tertiary collections.
The Work of Art
This untitled work, I think sums De Groen's ideas on art, artists and his endless interest in 'silence, stillness and darkness. The work, which is made from synthetic polymer paint on paper, is devoid of shapes and an absence of form. A dark blue/grey background, it has a hint of light towards the lower part of the composition. The bright yellow border, I think deliberately emphasizes the sense of stillness and darkness with the colour reflecting inwardly.
Although this is the only represented work in the University of Canberra Art Collection, many of De Groen's works demonstrate the same techniques as well as his style. It is not about specific subjects but about ways of seeing different forms. How do you feel when looking and exploring these images?
De Groen's Untitled work was acquired by the University of Canberra in 1974 - therefore an early example of his work following his return from working overseas. It is also quite an avante-guarde acquisition in the early days of the University's Art Collection.
References
Geoffrey De Groen Exhibition, https://www.habitusliving.com/architecture/visual-feast-geoffrey-de-groen-exhibition
Paul McGillick, Geoffrey De Groen, Artist Profile, https://www.artistprofile.com.au/geoffrey-de-groen/
Alan & Susan McColloch, The Encyclopdedia of Australian Art, Allen and Unwin, Sydney 1994. p210