Jon Molvig
Encyclopedia
Jon Molvig was an Australian expressionist artist, considered a major developer of 20th century Australian expressionism, even though his career 'only' lasted 20 years. He was born in the Newcastle, New South Wales
suburb of Merewether
.
Molvig won the Archibald Prize
in 1966 with a portrait of painter Charles Blackman
and portraits of Molvig by artist John Rigby
were hung in the Archibald in 1953 and 1959. He won many other prizes including the 1955 and 1956 Lismore Prize, 1961 Transfield Prize (City Industrial), 1963 Perth Prize (The Family), 1965 David Jones Prize (Underarm Still Life), 1966 Corio Prize (The Publican) and 1969 Gold Coast Prize (Tree of Man X). During the late fifties/early sixties Molvig held weekly, very informal, life drawing classes which were central to the Brisbane art scene at the time, and he was mentor to various emerging artists such as John Aland, Andrew Sibley, Gordon Shepherdson, Mervyn Moriarty, Joy Roggenkamp and many others. Otte van Gilst became a student in 1958, moved in with Molvig in January 1960 and they married in August 1963.
Molvig was an accomplished and honest portrait painter - painting fellow artists Charles Blackman
, John Rigby
, Joy Roggenkamp, Russell Drysdale
and Barry Humphries
as well as many privately commissioned portraits, i.e., Paul Beadle, Sir Charles Moses
, Sir Percy Spender
, Clem Jones
and Dr. Scougall. His powerful self-portrait is part of the Queensland Art Gallery
collection.
His talent came to the fore in 1958/59 when he painted the 'Centralian' series after travelling through central Australia - incorporating Australian Aboriginal symbolism in his own interpretation of the Australian landscape. Molvig was an emotional and intuitive painter, deeply concerned with humanity and it's follies and always invented symbols and a particular 'style' to suit the criteria of the subject he was painting. This is very evident in his 'Eden Industrial' series 1962 - impressive images of Adam and Eve in an industrialised Garden of Eden, with heavily textured surfaces achieved by burning layers of paint with a blowtorch.
Later the 'Pale Nudes' series (1964) once again show the influence Australian Aboriginal art had on him, and this symbolism was further distilled in the 'Tree of Man' series ( 1968), painted when he was seriously ill and perhaps already had a sense of his own mortality.
Molvig was a rare human being - gregarious and straight forward, often too brutally honest for his own good and unable to abide stupidity, but with a gift of true compassion and understanding and gentleness to all living things, including the human race with all its imperfections and this is evident in his work.
Molvig died in Princess Alexandra Hospital
, South Brisbane, Queensland
after an unsuccessful kidney transplant.
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
suburb of Merewether
Merewether, New South Wales
Merewether is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district with a population of around 10,000. The suburb stretches from Merewether Beach in the east to Adamstown in the west.- Establishment :...
.
Molvig won the Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
in 1966 with a portrait of painter Charles Blackman
Charles Blackman
Charles Blackman is one of the best known Australian artists still living today, especially for the famous Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series of the 1950s...
and portraits of Molvig by artist John Rigby
John Rigby
Saint John Rigby was an English Roman Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. He is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales...
were hung in the Archibald in 1953 and 1959. He won many other prizes including the 1955 and 1956 Lismore Prize, 1961 Transfield Prize (City Industrial), 1963 Perth Prize (The Family), 1965 David Jones Prize (Underarm Still Life), 1966 Corio Prize (The Publican) and 1969 Gold Coast Prize (Tree of Man X). During the late fifties/early sixties Molvig held weekly, very informal, life drawing classes which were central to the Brisbane art scene at the time, and he was mentor to various emerging artists such as John Aland, Andrew Sibley, Gordon Shepherdson, Mervyn Moriarty, Joy Roggenkamp and many others. Otte van Gilst became a student in 1958, moved in with Molvig in January 1960 and they married in August 1963.
Molvig was an accomplished and honest portrait painter - painting fellow artists Charles Blackman
Charles Blackman
Charles Blackman is one of the best known Australian artists still living today, especially for the famous Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series of the 1950s...
, John Rigby
John Rigby (artist)
John Rigby is an Australian artist born in Brisbane who is particularly known for his tropical and bush landscapes, genre and portraits....
, Joy Roggenkamp, Russell Drysdale
Russell Drysdale
Sir George Russell Drysdale, AC was an Australian artist. He won the prestigious Wynne Prize for Sofala in 1947, and represented Australia at the Venice Biennale in 1954...
and Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
as well as many privately commissioned portraits, i.e., Paul Beadle, Sir Charles Moses
Charles Moses
Sir Charles Moses CBE headed the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1935 until 1965....
, Sir Percy Spender
Percy Spender
Sir Percy Claude Spender, KCVO, KBE, QC, , was an Australian politician. diplomat and jurist.Spender was born in Sydney and educated at the prestigious Fort Street High School and later the University of Sydney. He joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1915...
, Clem Jones
Clem Jones
Clem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:...
and Dr. Scougall. His powerful self-portrait is part of the Queensland Art Gallery
Queensland Art Gallery
The Queensland Art Gallery is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre, and is located nearest to Brisbane River at South Bank...
collection.
His talent came to the fore in 1958/59 when he painted the 'Centralian' series after travelling through central Australia - incorporating Australian Aboriginal symbolism in his own interpretation of the Australian landscape. Molvig was an emotional and intuitive painter, deeply concerned with humanity and it's follies and always invented symbols and a particular 'style' to suit the criteria of the subject he was painting. This is very evident in his 'Eden Industrial' series 1962 - impressive images of Adam and Eve in an industrialised Garden of Eden, with heavily textured surfaces achieved by burning layers of paint with a blowtorch.
Later the 'Pale Nudes' series (1964) once again show the influence Australian Aboriginal art had on him, and this symbolism was further distilled in the 'Tree of Man' series ( 1968), painted when he was seriously ill and perhaps already had a sense of his own mortality.
Molvig was a rare human being - gregarious and straight forward, often too brutally honest for his own good and unable to abide stupidity, but with a gift of true compassion and understanding and gentleness to all living things, including the human race with all its imperfections and this is evident in his work.
Molvig died in Princess Alexandra Hospital
Princess Alexandra Hospital
The Princess Alexandra Hospital , is located on Ipswich Road in Woolloongabba, Australia. It is one of the major hospitals in Brisbane and is a teaching hospital of the University of Queensland. It is a tertiary level teaching hospital with all major medical and surgical specialities onsite except...
, South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
after an unsuccessful kidney transplant.