Greenhill Galleries

Born 1922, Melbourne, VIC .
Studied at Swinburne Technical College in Melbourne.

Undoubtedly one of Australia's most popular artists, Crooke has earned his reputation through an inspired and consistent style that encompasses the Australian landscape. His distinctive paintings of the South Seas, Fijian islands and their inhabitants are renowned for their bold colour and tranquil imagery. The water and the unspoiled culture of the islands and their people are masterfully captured in these vibrant island landscapes

Comparisons to Gauguin are inevitable, with the similarity of subject matter, sensitivity to colour and pervading sense of the exotic. Crooke's use of colour is specific to the South Pacific, with a flat application of paint that highlights the peace and unspoilt beauty of the islands. His work displays certain characteristic decorative aspects: ultramarine sea, sandy beaches, islanders in repose wearing brightly coloured sarongs and vests, lush tropical vegetation and big colourful flowers. Crooke does not aim to capture anything beyond these tranquil moments and the natural beauty of the traditional island way of life. This simplicity is also the strength of the works.

Born in 1922, Ray Crooke exhibited at the Tate Gallery London in 1963 and was awarded the Archibald Portrait Prize in 1969. His paintings are in major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, state galleries and the Vatican Collection Rome

Australian National Gallery, Canberra.
All Australian State Galleries.
Many regional galleries around Australia.
Numerous overseas collections, including The Vatican Collection, Rome.

Bonython, Kim, Elwyn Lynn, Modern Australian Painting 1979 - 75. 1976
Dobson, Rosemary, Focus on Ray Crooke, University of Queensland Press 1971.
Gleeson, James, Ray Crooke, Collins, Sydney 1972.
Smith, Bernard, Australian Painting 1788 - 1970, Oxford University Press, 1974.

2006
Greenhill Galleries, Perth

2005
SQUARED, Greenhill Galleries, Perth

1997-98
Retrospective Exhibition 'North of Capricorn : The Art of Ray Crooke', Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, touring to Cairns, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Campbelltown, Canberra and Melbourne.

1996
The View From Here: Six Kuranda Artists, Cairns Regional Gallery.

1995
A Time Remembered: Art in Brisbane 1950 - 1975, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.

1995
Ray Crooke: Two Islands, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.

1994
Ray Crooke: The Islands, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1993
Ray Crooke, Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide.

1991
Diverse Visions: Twelve Australian Mid to Late Career Artists, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.

1990
Ray Crooke: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints, Adelaide Festival of Arts Exhibition.

1989
Ray Crooke, Greenhill Galleries, Perth.

1988
Ray Crooke: Recent Works, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1988
Ray Crooke: Recent Paintings, Thos. Agnew & Sons, London.

1988
Ray Crooke, North of Capricorn, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.

1988
Ray Crooke, Diana Crooke: Paintings, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1986
Ray Crooke, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1985
Ray Crooke, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.

1984
Aspects of Australian Figurative Painting 1942- 1962, The Power Institute of Fine Arts, University of Sydney.

1984
Paintings of Fiji by Ray Crooke, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1984
Diana Crooke and Ray Crooke, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1984
Ray Crooke: Paintings of the tropics, Solander Gallery, Canberra.

1983
Ray Crooke, David Dridan: Australian Landscapes, Thos. Agnew & Sons, London.

1982
Archibald, Wynne, Pring and Sulman Prizes, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.

1982
Ray Crooke, Upstairs Gallery, Cairns.

1982
Group Exhibition, Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney.

1982
North Queensland: Paintings and Drawings by Ray Crooke, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.

1981
Ray Crooke, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1980
An Exhibition of Paintings of Sydney Harbour by Ray Crooke, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.
Blake Prize, Commonwealth Bank, Sydney.

1979
Ray Crooke: The Islands and North Queensland, Memories, and Records, Philip Bacon Galleries, Cintra House Galleries, Brisbane.

1978
Recent Works by Ray Crooke, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1976
Exhibition of Paintings by Ray Crooke, Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide.

1976
Recent paintings by Ray Crooke, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1976
Paintings by Ray Crooke, Macquarie Galleries, Canberra.

1975
Two murals for Australia House, London.

1974
Paintings by Ray Crooke, The Leicester Galleries, London.

1973
Ray Crooke, Skinner Galleries, Perth.

1973
Paintings by Ray Crooke, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1973
Ray Crooke, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney.

1972
Tahiti: Paintings and Drawings by Ray Crooke, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1972
Tahiti: Paintings and Drawings by Ray Crooke, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1972
Paintings and Drawings by Ray Crooke, Macquarie Galleries, Canberra.

1972
Ray Crooke Retrospective Exhibition, Adelaide Festival of the Arts.

1970
Ray Crooke, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney.

1970
Ray Crooke: The Yasawas Paintings, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1970
The Palmer River Paintings by Ray Crooke, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1970
Ray Crooke: Recent Paintings and Prints, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1970
Ray Crooke, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1970
Archibald, Wynne, Pring, and Sulman Prizes, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.

1969
Ray Crooke: Exhibition of Paintings of the North West, Western Australia, Skinner Galleries, Perth.

1968
Ray Crooke, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1968
Ray Crooke, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1967
Paintings by Ray Crooke, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1967
Ray Crooke, Skinner Galleries, Perth.

1966
paintings by Ray Crooke The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1966
Recent and Early Works by Ray Crooke Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney.

1965
Ray Crooke,: Studies for the Stations of the Cross, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1965
Ray Crooke - Recent Paintings, Darlinghurst Galleries, Sydney.

1965
Ray Crooke,, von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle.

1964
Ray Crooke, Bonython Galleries, Adelaide.

1964
Ray Crooke, Darlinghurst Galleries Sydney.

1964
Ray Crooke: Paintings of New Guinea, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1964
Ray Crooke, Commonwealth Institute Galleries, London.

1964
Ray Crooke: Paintings and Drawings, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1963
Group Exhibition, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1963
Ray Crooke , Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1963
Ray Crooke: Paintings 1962 - 1963, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1963
Group Exhibition, Macquarie Gallery, Sydney.

1963
Paintings by Ray Crooke, Arts Council of Australia, Canberra.

1963
Australian Painting Today, Touring exhibition of Australia and the Tate Gallery, London.

1962
Ray Crooke, Bonython Art Gallery, Adelaide.

1962
Ray Crooke: Paintings of North Queensland, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney.

1961
Raymond Crooke, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1961
Ray Crooke, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1960
Raymond Crooke, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane.

1960
Ray Crooke, Skinner Galleries, Perth.

1960
Group Exhibition , Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1960
Oil Paintings by Ray Crooke, Terry Clune Galleries, Sydney.

1959
Group Exhibition, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1959
Ray Crooke, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1959
Third Anniversary Exhibition, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1958
Group Exhibition, Australian Galleries, Melbourne.

1957
Ray Crooke, Kozminsky Gallery, Melbourne.

1949
Ray Crooke, Joseph Greenberg, Georges Gallery, Melbourne.

1948
Paintings, Drawings and Etchings by Ray Crooke, Kozminsky Gallery, Melbourne.

1969
The Archibald Prize for his Portrait of George Johnston

1993
Member of the Order of Australia

1996
Honorary Doctorate from Griffiths University, Brisbane