“In this body of work I’m still chasing rain, but this time in Sydney…
“In this body of work I’m still chasing rain, but this time in Sydney.
I’m still intrigued by the way water on glass distorts, abstracts & to my mind, enhances the cityscape. In Sydney, I’ve been able to observe this not only through the cars windscreen, but also through the windows of the harbour ferries.
The iconic structures of Sydney have a new fascination for me, when these huge solid structures become beautifully malleable by a little rain on a window.” – Brendon Darby
BORN 1952, Perth Western Australia
STUDIES
1968-69 Perth Technical College
1970-77 Professional musician
Background
Brendon Darby was born in Perth in 1952. He is both an outstanding and versatile artist and professional musician. He has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions worldwide for more than 35 years. His works are held in many public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. In 2007 Brendon was invited to exhibit at New York’s American Museum of Natural History as part of G’Day USA. This was the premiere presentation of his 10 year project Listening to Paintings – Australia. The multi media event involved Brendon’s live musical presentation, film and 10 major paintings describing the Australian landscape. The night raised over one million dollars for the Australian environment. It was then presented in Houston, as part of Australia Day celebrations.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1978 Rigby Gallery, Perth W.A.
1979 Way ’79 Celebration Invitation Allendale Square, Perth W.A.
1980 Signature Galleries, Perth W.A.
1981 Congress Hall, Tyrol Austria
1984 Alexander Galleries, Perth W.A.
1985 Alexander Galleries, Perth W.A.
1986 Ric’s Gallery, Perth W.A.
1987 Galleria Studio del Canova, Rome Italy
1987 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1988 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1988 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1989 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1989 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1990 “Listening to Paintings – Kakadu” Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1990 Park Road Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1991 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1991 Park Road Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1992 “Bloody Tourists”, Perth Galleries, Perth W.A.
1993 “Consuming Paintings”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1995 Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1995 Framed, The Darwin Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1996 Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide S.A. (with Garry Duncan)
1996 Editions Gallery, Melbourne Vic.
1996 “From The Nannup Studio”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1997 Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W
1998 Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide S.A.
1999 Framed – The Darwin Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1999 Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2000 Margaret River River Art Galleries W.A.
2000 “A Progress Report”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2000 “Jewels of the Landscape”, Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2001 “Ilma”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2002 “Ilma 2”, Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2003 “This Summer”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 “Mitchell Falls”, Michael Commerford Gallery N.S.W
2004 “2 Rivers”, Stafford Studios, Perth WA
2005 “The Hawkesbury”, Michael Commerford Gallery N.S.W
2007 “Listening to Paintings – Australia”, Museum of Natural History, New York
2007 “Listening to Paintings – Australia”. Heritage Hall, JP, Morgan Chase Bank. Houston.
2007 “Listening to the Land”, Booker Lowe Gallery. Houston.
2008 “Two Journeys”, Linton & Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2009 “Timelines and Tidelines”, The Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral NSW
2009 “BD’09”, Linton and Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2010 “Window To New York”, Linton and Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2011 “Brooklyn to Brooklyn”, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney NSW
2014 “Hawkesbury Winter”, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney NSW
2017 “Veils of Rome”, Harvey Galleries Mosman, Sydney NSW
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1979 “Fine Artists of Western Australia” Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1988 “Alice Bale Art Award Exhibition” McClelland Gallery, Victoria
1989 “Deloitte Haskins Invitation Art Award”, Perth W.A.
1990 “Human Rights Exhibition”, Amnesty International, Darwin N.T.
1990 Glyde Gallery, Perth W.A.
1990 “The Painted Desert”, New Collectables Gallery, Perth W.A.
1990 “Deloitte Ross Tohmatsu Invitation Art Award”, Perth W.A.
1991 “Westrek Foundation Exhibition”, Gallery Australia Perth W.A.
1991 “West Australian Landscape”, Van Hall Gallery, Perth W.A.
1991 “W.A. Research For Child Health Exhibition”, Accent Gallery, Perth W.A.
1991 “James Hardie Wildlife Art Prize”, Touring Exhibition, Australia
1991 “Four Western Australian Artists”, Cable Beach Resort Broome W.A.
1991 “Water Metamorphosis of the Medium”, Carillon, Perth
1992 “Resolutions”, New Collectables Gallery, Fremantle W.A.
1992 “One Hundred Years of Gold Mining”, Perth Mint W.A.
1992 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1993 “The Best Of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1994 “The Best Of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1994 “Songs of the Possum”, Burswood Showroom, Perth W.A.
1994 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1995 “The Best of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1996 China Art Expo, Beijing
1996 Rottnest Exhibition, Rafferty’s, Perth W.A.
1996 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1998 Royal Agricultural Society. Winner Open Art Award
2001 Archibald Portrait Prize, Finalist. Gallery of N.S.W.
2001 “New Vision”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 “Fire’s On”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 Speech & Hearing Exhibition. Featured Artist (Donated Painting) Burswood Convention Centre Perth W.A.
2003 “Bali Commemorative Exhibition” Royal Perth Hospital, Perth W.A.
2004 Cossack Art Award. Winner – Invited Artists
2004 Salon des Refuses, National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery NSW, (Portrait of Kim Beazley)
2005 “Stop the Toad” Rafferty’s Gallery. Perth WA.
2006 Yallingup Galleries Easter exhibition
2006 “The Nude” Elements Art Gallery. Perth W.A.
2007 “Western Australian Landscape Paintings”, Yallingup Galleries. Artopia. Stafford Studios. Perth W.A.
COLLECTIONS
J.P. Morgan Bank
Challenge Bank
Media Portfolio Limited
Town and Country Building Society
IBM Australia Ltd
Woodside Offshore Petroleum Pty Ltd
Richard Ellis International Property Consultants
Allied Corporation Pty Ltd
City of Stirling Collection
Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
Tony Barlow Collection
Rodilli Collection, Rome
Coldhurst Collection, Great Britain
Daleski Collection, U.S.A.
Dr Richard Blum Collection, Switzerland
Burlington Paintings, London
Chevron Asiatic Ltd
Leeuwin Estate
Duxton Hotel, Perth
Amcor Ltd
St John of God Hospital
Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd
Alinta Gas
Guilford Grammar
Scotch College
Edwards Thompson Solicitors
Evans & Tate
Janet Holmes a Court Collection
Many private collections throughout Australia and overseas
PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS
Include chairmen of the Perth Building Society and the Freemen of the City of Stirling.
The Yandicoogina Commission
In August 1998 Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd announced the commissioning of a collection of paintings to commemorate the opening of the new mine, “Yandicoogina” in March 1999. Brendon was flown to the Pilbara in September and spent time painting, drawing and photographing the landscape around Yandicoogina. The next 5 months were spent working on the larger paintings in his North Perth studio. The resulting 16 major works are now a part of the Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd collection.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Artists and Galleries of Australia”, Max Germaine
“Arteffects”, Jean Drysdale – Green. Watson – Guptill Publications, New York An educational video “Brendon Darby Painting In Oils”, produced by the Western Australian College of Advanced Education.
“Songs of the Possum”, Bill Mather-Brown. Sundowner Press 1994
“Listening to Paintings- Kakadu”, CD/Book published by Audio Art 1995
“Mitchell Falls”, DVD produced by Audio Art
“Listening to Paintings- Australia” DVD/CD produced by Audio Art 2007
Harvey Galleries was founded by the Harvey family in 1994 with an eye to establish a dynamic and inclusive contemporary art space on the North Shore of Sydney. For almost three decades we have expanded our reach to over three gallery locations and an ever expanding stable of the best artists Australia has to offer.
Harvey Galleries acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which our galleries stand. The Guringai people (Seaforth), the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation (Sydney), and the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation (Melbourne).
We pay our respect to Elders past and present.
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