John Ogburn
Encyclopedia
John Armstrong Ogburn was an Australia
n painter
.
studio. In 1946 he "realised that the life of an industrial chemist ignored, by-passed, or denied those very things in life most valuable to me”, so he bought a scooter and travelled to Northern Queensland, where he worked in the sugarcane fields and on pearling luggers and timber boats off Cairns and Cooktown. After returning to Sydney
in 1948, he worked for the Sydney Morning Herald as a freelance science correspondent, while studying under the painter Desiderius Orban
and the philosopher Austin Woodbury
.
Following his first one-man exhibition at the Macquarie Galleries
in 1953, Ogburn sailed to Europe, hitch-hiking, working, and studying in museums and galleries. On returning in 1957, he conducted an art teaching studio in Sydney, and was Vice President of the Contemporary Art Society from 1957-1962.
In 1963 he opened the John Ogburn Studio of painting and drawing in Lower George Street Sydney, moving to Harrington Street, The Rocks, in 1972. In 1973 he founded the Harrington Street Artists' Co-operative Gallery, where he held a one-man exhibition annually, until his final exhibition in October 2009, a few months before his death.
Although not widely known in Australia, John Ogburn received acclaim and admiration from art critics such as Clement Greenberg
. The legacy he leaves is integral to modern art, in Greenberg's words, 'I gathered that he wasn’t widely accepted in Australia – because he wasn’t 'new' enough, 'far out' enough. You Australians may be as benighted as we Americans are'.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Biography
Born in St Arnaud, Victoria in 1925, Ogburn worked for Shell Co. in Melbourne as an industrial research chemist between 1944 and 1946. During that time he became what he called a "Sunday painter" in oils and watercolours, and did Life drawing at the Victorian Artists SocietyVictorian Artists Society
Victorian Artists Society established in 1856 in Melbourne, Australia promotes artistic education and exhibition in Australia. Fore-runner of the Victorian Academy of Arts, founded in 1870. In 1888 the Australian Artist's Association amalgamated with the Victorian Academy of Arts to form the...
studio. In 1946 he "realised that the life of an industrial chemist ignored, by-passed, or denied those very things in life most valuable to me”, so he bought a scooter and travelled to Northern Queensland, where he worked in the sugarcane fields and on pearling luggers and timber boats off Cairns and Cooktown. After returning to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1948, he worked for the Sydney Morning Herald as a freelance science correspondent, while studying under the painter Desiderius Orban
Desiderius Orban
Desiderius Orban OBE was a renowned Hungarian-born Australian painter, printmaker and teacher. He was influenced by the paintings of Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne.-Biography:...
and the philosopher Austin Woodbury
Austin Woodbury
Austin M. Woodbury was an Australian Catholic philosopher.-Biography:...
.
Following his first one-man exhibition at the Macquarie Galleries
Macquarie Galleries
Macquarie Galleries was a Sydney, Australia private art gallery established in 1925 by John Henry Young and Basil Burdett. It was located at "Strathkyle", 19 Bligh Street Sydney then moved to 40 King Street in 1945....
in 1953, Ogburn sailed to Europe, hitch-hiking, working, and studying in museums and galleries. On returning in 1957, he conducted an art teaching studio in Sydney, and was Vice President of the Contemporary Art Society from 1957-1962.
In 1963 he opened the John Ogburn Studio of painting and drawing in Lower George Street Sydney, moving to Harrington Street, The Rocks, in 1972. In 1973 he founded the Harrington Street Artists' Co-operative Gallery, where he held a one-man exhibition annually, until his final exhibition in October 2009, a few months before his death.
Although not widely known in Australia, John Ogburn received acclaim and admiration from art critics such as Clement Greenberg
Clement Greenberg
Clement Greenberg was an American essayist known mainly as an influential visual art critic closely associated with American Modern art of the mid-20th century...
. The legacy he leaves is integral to modern art, in Greenberg's words, 'I gathered that he wasn’t widely accepted in Australia – because he wasn’t 'new' enough, 'far out' enough. You Australians may be as benighted as we Americans are'.