Godfrey Blow
Encyclopedia
Godfrey Blow is an artist based in Kalamunda, Western Australia
. He is the founder of the Perth
Stuckists
.
Godfrey Blow was born in Lincolnshire
, England on the same day as fellow Stuckist artist, Eamon Everall
. After attending Sheffield Hallam University
where he gained a BA Hons degree and Manchester Metro University, where he qualified as a teacher, Blow emigrated to Australia in 1982. Since then he has made his living by teaching and through his artwork. More recently the emphasis has been on his art, as his work has increasingly become a featured part of private and public collections in Australia, including Artbank, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, University of Western Australia and the collections of the cities of Bunbury
, Albany
and Fremantle
.
In 2001 Judith McGrath reviewed his 2001 solo show at The Church Gallery:
He first joined the Stuckists in 2002, when he founded the Perth Stuckists after a conversation with Stuckism founder, Charles Thomson
. Since then he has exhibited with the group, most notably in their landmark exhibition, The Stuckists Punk Victorian
at the Walker Art Gallery
during the 2004 Liverpool Biennial
. He is also one of the featured artists exhibiting in the Triumph of Stuckism; an exhibition of new Stuckist paintings curated by Naive John, which comprises part of Liverpool's 2006 Biennial.
His highly finished paintings are worked on over many months, and draw mainly from the often arid and rocky landscape which surrounds his home. In his use of hot, earth colours and crisp detail, he is quintissentially an Australian artist pursuing typically Australian themes. In October 2006, Blow was a finalist in Australia's richest award for landscape painting, the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale Art Prize.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He is the founder of the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
Stuckists
Stuckism
Stuckism is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting in opposition to conceptual art...
.
Life and art
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England on the same day as fellow Stuckist artist, Eamon Everall
Eamon Everall
Eamon Everall is an English artist and educator. He was one of the 12 founder members of the Stuckists art group. He paints in a "neo-cubist" style, with subjects from life worked on over a long period.-Life and career:...
. After attending Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
where he gained a BA Hons degree and Manchester Metro University, where he qualified as a teacher, Blow emigrated to Australia in 1982. Since then he has made his living by teaching and through his artwork. More recently the emphasis has been on his art, as his work has increasingly become a featured part of private and public collections in Australia, including Artbank, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, University of Western Australia and the collections of the cities of Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
, Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
and Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
.
Charles Thomson (artist)
Charles Thomson is an English artist, painter, poet and photographer. In the early 1980s he was a member of The Medway Poets. In 1999 he named and co-founded the Stuckists art movement with Billy Childish. He has curated Stuckist shows, organised demonstrations against the Turner Prize, run an art...
. Since then he has exhibited with the group, most notably in their landmark exhibition, The Stuckists Punk Victorian
The Stuckists Punk Victorian
The Stuckists Punk Victorian was the first national gallery exhibition of Stuckist art. It was held at the Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool from 18 September 2004 to 20 February 2005, and was part of the 2004 Liverpool Biennial....
at the Walker Art Gallery
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England, outside of London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group, and is promoted as "the National Gallery of the North" because it is not a local or regional gallery but is part...
during the 2004 Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
. He is also one of the featured artists exhibiting in the Triumph of Stuckism; an exhibition of new Stuckist paintings curated by Naive John, which comprises part of Liverpool's 2006 Biennial.
His highly finished paintings are worked on over many months, and draw mainly from the often arid and rocky landscape which surrounds his home. In his use of hot, earth colours and crisp detail, he is quintissentially an Australian artist pursuing typically Australian themes. In October 2006, Blow was a finalist in Australia's richest award for landscape painting, the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale Art Prize.
Exhibitions
Solo Shows.- 2006 Stafford Studios, "Symbols & Metaphors", Cottesloe, Perth, W.A.
- 2001 Church Gallery, Claremont, Perth, W.A.
- 1998 Gomboc Gallery, James Street, Middle Swan, W.A.
- 1996 Gomboc Gallery, James Street, Middle Swan, W.A.
- 1993 The Geraldton Regional Gallery, 24 Chapman Road, Geraldton, W.A.
- 1992 Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery,"Facing the Dawn",University of Western Australia,Perth, W.A.
- 1989 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, W.A.
- 1986 Quentin Gallery, Claremont, Perth, W.A.
- 1984 Undercroft Gallery, University of Western Australia, Perth, W.A.
- 1983 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, W.A.
- Glyde Gallery, Mosman Park, Perth, W.A.
- 1980 Hendon Library, Hendon, London, England.
- 1976 Barnet Arts Centre, London, England.
Collections
- The Art Gallery of Western Australia
- Curtin University of Technology
- City of Bunbury
- Artbank
- Education Department of Western Australia
- Holmes a Court Collection
- The University of Western Australia
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
- City of Fremantle
- City of Albany
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Dr John Collis
- Various private collections in Australia, France, India & U.K.
Awards
- 1984 Bunbury City Invitation Art Purchase Award, WA.
- 1985 Western Australia Week Invitation Art Award, WA.
- 1987 Silver Anniversary Art Award, 25th Albany Art Competition, WA.
- 1987 Highly Commended, Royal Agricultural Society of WA Invitation Art Award, WA.
- 1993 Highly Commended, The City of Gosnells Art Award, WA.
- 2002 Cossack Art Award, Category:Painting, WA.
- 2006 Finalist for The Fleurieu Peninsula Biennial Art Prize for Australian Landscape Painting, South Australia.
- 2007 Highly Commended, Minnawarra Art Award, City of Armadale, WA.
- 2007 Mandorla Art Award Finalist, WA.
Books
- Germaine,Max "Artists and Galleries of Australia", 1990
- Rykes, Graham "A Buyers Guide to Australian Art", 1992
- Thorpe, D.W. "Who's Who of Australian Visual Artists", 1995
- Ed. Frank Milner, 2004, "The Stuckists Punk Victorian" National Museums Liverpool, ISBN 1-902700-27-9
See also
- StuckismStuckismStuckism is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting in opposition to conceptual art...
- Stuckism in AustraliaStuckism in AustraliaStuckism is an art movement that began in London, England, in 1999. In 2000, Melbourne artist Regan Tamanui started the first international branch of the movement. As of 2010, there are seven Australian Stuckist groups, who have held shows—sometimes concurrently with UK...
- Regan TamanuiRegan TamanuiRegan Tamanui is a self-taught artist based in Melbourne, Australia. In October 2000, he founded the Melbourne Stuckists, the fourth Stuckist group to be started and the first outside of the United Kingdom...
- The Stuckists Punk VictorianThe Stuckists Punk VictorianThe Stuckists Punk Victorian was the first national gallery exhibition of Stuckist art. It was held at the Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool from 18 September 2004 to 20 February 2005, and was part of the 2004 Liverpool Biennial....
External links
- Stuckist web site
- Godfrey Blow on the Walker Gallery site
- Interview with Godfrey Blow, 2005
- Godfrey Blow on mungbeing.com
- Godfrey Blow web site
- Triumph of Stuckism symposium official site
- Under The Cover of Romantic Anonymity
- Saatchi Gallery web site
- Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale Art Prize
- Rewarding Art:works by Godfrey Blow.
- Godfrey Blow interviewed by Brian Sherwin- myartspace.com