Greenhill Galleries

Born Sydney, 1928

Charles Blackman, at the age of 82, is one of Australia’s most significant figurative painters, and one of only a handful of artists who have really made a name on the international art stage.

April 2011: Blackman's upcoming exhibition of original ink drawings revisits some of his favourite subjects – Alice in Wonderland, schoolgirls, women and cats, harking back to the fifties when Blackman had a studio in Melbourne backing onto a lane frequented by passing schoolgirls. The works he produced during this period were, and still are, highly celebrated, and Blackman's April 2011 exhibition will touch on elements of that time. These sometimes, sparse drawings have a simplicity found only in the works of highly accomplished artists, illustrating the power of a single silhouetted image.

Charles Blackman attended drawing classes at East Sydney Technical College (1943-46). After working as a press artist with the Sydney Sun, Blackman moved to Melbourne where he began painting professionally in 1950.

Since then Blackman has held numerous one-man exhibitions in Australia and contributed to group shows such as the Festival of Perth “ Invitation Exhibition”(1966) and the Retrospective Drawing Exhibition” Adelaide Festival (1974).

Blackman’s works have afforded him high acclaim over a career spanning more than 60 years, and many of his most important works are included in the collections of the major public galleries of Australia.

Amongst the notable awards received by Charles Blackman are the Roweny Prize 1959, the Helena Rubenstein Travelling Art Scholarship 1960, the Crouch Prize 1960, and the Silver Medal at “The Twenty Nations Exhibition”, Saigon 1962.

For his outstanding contribution to Australian art, Charles Blackman was awarded an OBE and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 1977.

1953
Peter Bray Gallery, Melbourne, “Paintings and Drawings by Charles Blackman”, 12 May

1954
Mirka’s Studio, Melbourne, “Blackman Paintings”, 2 November

1956
Gallery of Contemporary Art, Melbourne, “Exhibition of Paintings by Charles Blackman”, 7 August

1957
Gallery of Contemporary Art, Melbourne, “Paintings from Alice in Wonderland” 12 February
Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane, “Charles Blackman”, 19 June

1959
Rudy Komon Art Gallery, Sydney, “ Rowney Drawing Prize”, wins prize

1960
National Gallery of Victoria, “Helena Rubenstein Travelling Art Scholarship”, wins prize.

1961
Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, “Recent Australian Painting”

1968
Leicester Galleries, London, “Charles Blackman”

1974
David Sumner Galleries, Adelaide,” Retrospective Drawings”

1978
Art Gallery of Western Australia, “Contemporary Australian Drawing”

1984
Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide, “Paintings and Pastels”

1988
Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, “Charles Blackman: The Schoolgirl Years” (1951-53)

1993
National Gallery of Victoria, “Charles Blackman: Schoolgirls and Angels”; A Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, toured to Art Gallery of New South Wales, Brisbane City Town Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Queensland, and the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

2003
Watercolour exhibition, Greenhill Galleries, Perth

2010
"Silhouette", Arthouse Gallery, Sydney

Numerous group exhibitions between 1960 and the present

The Museum of Modern Art, Paris
Tate Gallery, London
Victoria and Albert Museums, London Whitechapel and Hallmark Galleries, London Contemporary Art Society of Britain
British Arts Council, UK
Commonwealth Institute Gallery, London Harold Mertz Collection, USA
Worcester Museum, USA
Opera House Collection, Sydney
Ikeda Museum of 20th Century Art, Japan Reserve Bank of Australia Collection
Kerry Stokes Collection
The Christensen Fund Collection
National Gallery Of Australia, Canberra

And all State and Public Institutions in Australia