Simple Wonders: Exhibition of the Paintings from the Collection of Andrew Johns Part Four: John Pickup & Pro Hart

The Late John Pickup OAM (1931-2023) was a very valued and dearly loved member of the AnArt4Life blog team and over the years of the blog contributed greatly to the posts.

John was a Renaissance Man and as such his talents spread across many fields including being a very successful broadcaster for which he received his OAM in the 2020 Australia Day Honours. Over his lifetime he was also very involved in theatre productions and became a proficient glider pilot but we know him as a remarkably talented artist and member of the [Brushmen of the Bush] (https://www.anart4life.com/brushmen-of-the-bush/).

Andrew owns several John Pickup paintings - three of which are in the exhibition.

The first John Pickup painting we are going to look at is Franklin Journey which represents John's commitment to the conservation of the Australian natural environment - specifically in this case the Franklin River in Tasmania.

John became renowned for his vivid landscapes and mastery in capturing the rugged beauty of the Australian outback as you can seen below in his depiction of the Franklin River in Tasmania - a site of significant environmental conservation efforts.

Note his intricate brushwork and keen eye for detail which bring to life the river’s dynamic flow and the richness of the untamed surroundings.

This painting not only showcases John’s technical prowess but also his deep connection to and reverence for the natural world, embodying the spirit of adventure and the importance of preserving Australia’s pristine landscapes for future generations.

In Found (below) again we see the master at work on the colours and textures present in the rocks. But we also see here John at his best in the creation of the sky which comes alive in a marriage of atmospheric elements combined through form and colour. Please take a moment to study and reflect on the magnificence of this painting which for us embodies all that is Australian - the lone figure standing brave and resilient against the the forces of nature.

This painting rates high in my 10 best paintings in the world!

We haven't mentioned as yet but John Pickup also loved vehicles - boats, planes and trains - and all feature in one way or another in his paintings.

Chosen for the Simple wonders is Slow Goods as shown below which also stands for much of both early European settlement in Australia but also remains contemporary as slow goods trains continue to rumble across the land bringing essential products to the remote communities.

And let's conclude with the work of another of ther Brushmen of the Bush - Pro Hart. Chosen for the exhibition from Andrew's collection is The Galahs. At first enjoy the quirkiness of a Pro Hart painting for which he became very famous and as you follow the visual narrative around the composition you will find the galahs!!

Over the past few days we have begun showcasing paintings from the Simple Wonders exhibition being held at the Singleton Arts and Cultural Centre from 23 August to 3 November 2024. If you missed the first posts please use the search tool at the top of the post with the key words Simple Wonders to locate the previous posts.

The day after tomorrow we will continue to look at paintings of the Australian landscape as featured in the Simple Wonders exhibition this time through a contemporary Australian artist - Johanna Hildebrandt who, like Hugh Schulz, developed a style based on the Naive School of Art.