Biography

Charles Blackman (Australian, b.1928) is a painter, best known for his Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series, and is regarded as one of the most important figurative painters in Australia. Born in Sydney, Blackman was largely self taught, and became an illustrator for the Sun newspaper before moving to Melbourne in the mid-1940s. Following the move, Blackman befriended fellow artists Joy Hester, John Perceval, and Laurence Hope, and gained the support of art critic and patron John Reed. He earned critical acclaim for his early Schoolgirl and Alice series, the latter of which was based on the character from the fantasy novel by Lewis Carroll. Through these works, Blackman displayed a talent for depicting events from his subjects’ point of view, often creating compositions with odd angles, washed-out colors, and isolated environments. In 1959, Blackman collaborated with figurative artists John Brack, Arthur Boyd, David Boyd, John Perceval, Clifton Pugh, and Robert Dickerson to create the group The Antipodeans, which rallied against the blanket adoption of overseas art styles by Australian artists, in particular, American Abstract Expressionism and other non-figurative movements. In 1997, Blackman was awarded an Order of the British Empire, and his works are displayed in galleries throughout Australia, as well as in many private collections around the world. (Bio from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/charles-blackman/biography)

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions 1953-93 Numerous solo exhibitions in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, London and Tokyo, including a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, 1993 - Charles Blackman: Schoolgirls and Angels

Awards

1997 OBE 1963 Georges Invitation Art Prize, Georges Gallery Melbourne (one painting and one drawing) 1960 Helena Rubinstein Scholarship, Melbourne 1960 George Crouch Prize, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery 1960 Wins prize. A. Shore, The Age (February) 1958 George Crouch Prize, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery 1958 Rowney Prize, Richmond Gallery Melbourne