Charles Blackman

Charles Blackman

  • 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)

  • 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

  • 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

Showing all 8 artworks

Charles Blackman

Alice Folio
110 x 90 cm screen print

Charles Blackman

Camel Chart, 1986
42 x 29.7 cm Ink and wash on paper

Charles Blackman

Weathervane, C. 1987-1988
15 x 26.5 cm Gouache on paper

Charles Blackman

Sphinx, C.1987-1988
27 x 36 cm watercolour on paper

Charles Blackman

Harbour scene, C.1952-1953
20.3 x 25.4 cm Gouache on paper

Charles Blackman

Man in landscape, C. 1953
38.3 x 28 cm Pencil on paper

Charles Blackman

Blackman's Allice
71.5 x 69 cm Complete set of colour screenprints (6 framed),

Charles Blackman

Girls and Flowers Folio Suite of 6 silkscreen prints 46/80
75 x 105.5 cm Complete set of colour screenprints