gordon shepherdson … the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot

The drama of Gordon Shepherdson’s paintings, (1997) sees the bird fixing us with its eye while its their wrestle with human demons, and their wings are spread, angelic. The density of colour, engagement with the moment, is held, suspended the deep greens and flashes of red in this painting, in the quality of their paint. Their consistency over together with the translucent blue of the ocean on decades is remarkable and some of these paintings, a fine day, fix it in the mind. decades old, appear as fresh as if painted yesterday. Other motifs also emerged from this active Pam Bell evoked the Spanish concept of the engagement in the natural world and empathetic duende in a 1978 essay, suggesting that, ‘… it is observation of its creatures — the human figure, essential to the nature of Shepherdson and the swimmers, waders, winged figures, and still life. It way that he works, psyched up with the tension has been a singularly romantic pursuit of a vision and energy of a boxer as if for a physical struggle’.1 which he has always suggested is for his own The muscularity in the paintings is key to his satisfaction, ‘an audience of one’, yet transcends best known motif of the dying bull (drawn from its own place and time. The darkness in the work decades of working in an abattoir), but also speaks extends the space and silence that Shepherdson to the existential struggle of humanity. has worked to perfect. Throughout his decades It is all the more poignant that this exhibition of painting the work has become increasingly was selected as the Shepherdson family reluctantly reductionist, with motifs crystallised, reduced to moved Gordon, now aged 83, into a nursing their essential qualities. The evening landscapes facility to care for his increasingly frail body. The (Last moon, March, 1988) draw the eye, and their paintings span 1988 to 2016, and present many of darknesses are seductive, drawing us down. Yet his familiar motifs. Most recent are three still life the glow of the moon, the nuances of colour in paintings, explosive colour within a darkly resonant the landscape, the flash of light, throw us a line background. Still life (2015) shows yellow flowers so as not to drown. Bullock and still life in dark with greenery in a white bowl like a ghost, with landscape (2008) lock together life and death, with its white vase/shadow speaking to the figurative blood running from the animal’s death wound and shadow paintings which are stimulated, as is much nostrils, like tears over a white vase. of his work, by Samuel Beckett’s writing. David Burnett curated Marks + Moments Shadow watching owner (1995) is amongst the (1997), the survey of powerhouse paintings in this exhibition. Central is Shepherdson’s paintings. His view, as 2017 drew the painterly figure, rendered in white over which to a close, was that Shepherdson has offered a darker tones have settled. The moon to the top deeply personal contribution to Australian painting. left of the painting has broken free of the cloud to ‘He is anchored in this place, and painted images of shine on the figure and the whites of the watching where he’s at and where he’s been. While there are shadow’s eye. The dynamic red which Shepherdson only a handful of motifs in his repertoire, revisited has always used selectively lights up the night sky, and reinterpreted throughout his career, he has while the horizon-free landscape pits humanity up responded in a personal and very direct way to the against its search for meaning. space and silences of the here and now, the things Shepherdson painted birds from memory, that are important to him.’ observed over decades fishing in Moreton Bay. Louise Martin-Chew Aerial (albatross and eagle) (1987) shows the birds December 2017 from above, caught in a monumental struggle 1. Pamela Bell, ‘Gordon Shepherdson’, Art & , Vol 15 between heaven and earth. Ode to a giant petrel No 4, Winter, June 1978: pp.380–388. philip bacon invites you to the exhibition opening and drinks 2–4pm saturday, 17th february 2018

1. Aerial (albatross and eagle) 1987 oil and enamel on paper 68.5 x 72 cm

cover: 6. Morning Redland Bay, 21 May 1997 1997 oil and enamel on paper 117 x 109 cm

4 3. High swans 1993 oil and enamel on paper 118 x 119 cm

opposite: 2. Picking the apple 1988 oil and enamel on paper 90 x 99 cm 5 6 8. Seated in dark landscape 2000 oil and enamel on paper 47 x 42.5 cm

9. Kneeling figure in landscape 2000 oil and enamel on paper 42 x 42.5 cm 7 4. Shadow watching owner 1995 oil and enamel on paper 121 x 111 cm 8 10. Still life 2003 oil and enamel on paper 63 x 67.5 cm

7. Last moon, March 1998 oil and enamel on paper 94 x 109 cm 9 5. Ode to a giant petrel 1997 oil and enamel on paper 108 x 123 cm 10 12. Bullock hanging in dark landscape 2004 oil and enamel on paper 100 x 108 cm

opposite: 11. Standing figure with fractured landscape 2004 oil and enamel on french dessin 111.8 x 101 cm 11 12 13. Evening landscape 2005 oil and enamel on paper 77 x 92 cm

14. Maleny landscape 2007 oil and enamel on paper 90.5 x 44.5 cm

13 15. Bullock and still life in dark landscape 2008 oil and enamel on paper 99.5 x 106 cm 14 gordon shepherdson group exhibitions Born , 1934 2017 Ecstacy: Baroque & Beyond, UQ Art Museum, After a period spent working as a jackaroo in the Brisbane Longreach area of Queensland, Shepherdson began 2015 GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art, attending night classes with Caroline Baker at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Queensland Art Society in the early 1950s. Brisbane Completing only one term with Arthur Evan Reid at 2014 Remembering Brian & Marjorie Johnstone’s the Central Technical College, he left to attend classes Galleries, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane held by the Modernists Andrew Sibley and Jon Molvig 2013 New V3: Recent Acquisitions, UQ Art Museum, in the early 1960s. Brisbane Shepherdson held his first solo exhibition in 1964 2011 New 2011: Recent Acquisitions, UQ Art Museum, with The Slaughter Yard series at The Johnstone Brisbane Gallery, a seminal exhibition recording his experiences 2009 Between reality and non-reality: Works by Jon and thoughts of working in a Brisbane abattoir. This Molvig and Gordon Shepherdson, QUT Art exhibition led to shows with Rudy Komon in Sydney Museum, Brisbane throughout the 1960s. 2002 Naked, Brian Moore Gallery, Sydney During this time his work was selected for a group exhibition of contemporary Australian painting 1995 A time remembered: Art in Brisbane 1950–1975, arranged by the Contemporary Art Society of Queensland Art Gallery NSW, which was exhibited in Los Angeles and San 1991 Diverse visions, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Francisco. In the mid‑1970s, Shepherdson began 1988 Painters and sculptors: Diversity in contemporary to exhibit with Philip Bacon Galleries and in 1977 art, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan a survey exhibition of his work was curated by the 1987 Painters and sculptors: Diversity in contemporary University of Queensland Art Museum. Shepherdson’s art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane work was included in a number of group exhibitions 1986 Five Queensland painters, Queensland Art Gallery curated by the Queensland Art Gallery in the 1980s, culminating in Marks and Moments: Paintings by Gordon 1985 Exhibition of still lifes, Philip Bacon Galleries, Shepherdson, a survey exhibition of his work in 1977. Brisbane 1983 Acquisitions 1973-1983, UQ Art Museum, solo exhibitions Brisbane 2018 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane 1982 Georges Invitation Prize Exhibition, Melbourne 2017 Paintings for an Audience of One: Work from the 1979 MacPherson, Shepherdson, Staunton, UQ Art 1990s, Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne Museum, Brisbane 2015 A Small Survey of Work, Nicholas Thompson 1966 Design Arts Centre, Brisbane Gallery, Melbourne Contemporary Australian Painting, Australian 2013 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Trade Display, Los Angeles 2010 Postcards and other paintings, Philip Bacon 1965 The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane Galleries, Brisbane 1962 Moriarty – Shepherdson, Hardy Brothers, 2006, 2002 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Brisbane 2001 Brian Moore Gallery, Sydney 1961 Travel Inn art panels, Festival Hall, Brisbane 2000 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane public collections 1997 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Marks + Moments, survey exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Queensland Art Gallery Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, 1994, 1992, 1989, 1986 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Brisbane Griffith University, Brisbane 1984 Solander Gallery, Canberra QUT Art Museum, Brisbane Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane UQ Art Museum, Brisbane 1982, 1980, 1979 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Art Gallery of Ballarat 1977 Survey exhibition, University of Queensland Gold Coast City Art Gallery Art Museum, Brisbane Ipswich Art Gallery Lismore Regional Art Gallery 1976 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Moreton Bay Regional Council 1972 Reid Gallery, Brisbane Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery 1968 Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney Museum of Brisbane 1967 Grand Central Galleries, Brisbane Newcastle Art Gallery 1965 The Slaughter Yard, Georges Gallery, Melbourne Rockhampton Art Gallery The Slaughter Yard, Rudy Komon Gallery, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Sydney Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery 1964 The Slaughter Yard, The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane 17. Still life 2015 oil and enamel on paper 61 x 57 cm

18. Float bowl III 2016 19. Float bowl IV 2016 oil and enamel on paper 39 x 44 cm oil and enamel on paper 48 x 54 cm 16. Dark ocean of dark eyes with wind 2009 oil and enamel on paper 105 x 111 cm

2 arthur street, fortitude valley, brisbane · 10.00am – 5.00pm tues to sat ph 07 3358 3555 fax 07 3254 1412 · email: [email protected] exhibition current: 13 february – 10 march 2018