BRUSHMEN OF THE BUSH 

The "Brushmen of the Bush", that famous Australian group of great artists, from Broken Hill, took Australian art not only to Australians but also to the world. The group consists of the late

They enjoy a prolific demand for their paintings and exhibited throughout Australia and in major international exhibitions throughout the world including Los Angeles, New York, London and Rome. They enjoyed the privilege on two occasions of an official royal opening when in 1976 H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent opened the London exhibition and in 1977 H.R.H.. the Prince of Wales opened an exhibition in Canberra.

Broken Hill City council declared 2006 the year of ‘The Brushmen of the Bush’. A retrospective exhibition opened that year in the Broken Hill regional Gallery and is travelling extensively through the Australian Regional Gallery circuit presently showing in Swan Hill Regional Gallery. This is a great boost to the Brushman’s fame and will surely further enhance the value of owning their works.

Schedule of the travelling retrospective exhibition

19 April – 7 June 2007 Mildura Regional Art Gallery, Vic

4 August - 2 September 2007 Port Pirie Regional Gallery, SA

29 September – 2 December 2007 Riddoch Regional Gallery, Mount Gambier SA

28 March – 4 May 2008 Swan Hill Regional Gallery, Vic

16 May – 29 June 2008 Artspace Mackay, Qld

14 July – 5 September 2008 Outback Regional Gallery, Winton, Qld

24 September – 25 October 2008 Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach, Qld

14 November 2008 – 4 January 2009 The Cunnamulla Fella Centre, Qld

27 February – 1 April 2009 Chinchilla White Gums Regional Gallery Qld

22 April – 24 May 2009 Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW

12 June – 26 July 2009 Moree Plains Gallery, NSW

Eric Minchin was effervescent, energetic, lovable, one of Australia’s best known artists, a colourful outback character and a truly great Australian. He had an enormous love of Australia and Australians. He was completely captivated with the sheer beauty and harshness of the outback and talked constantly of his fascination with the colours and shapes of the creek beds, the trees, the skies and above all the people. From these deep emotions he drew the inspiration for his paintings, and through his paintings, the Broken Hill area and the Australian outback will live forever.

Jack was born in Port Augusta South Australia in 1927. He studied briefly under Ern and Mary Adams in Victoria in 1972 but mostly self-taught. He is a member of the Brushmen of the Bush and is a traditional artist in oil specialising in outback Australia.

Jack has had many one-man shows at Sydney, Broken Hill, Adelaide, Melbourne, Port Lincoln, Toowoomba, Woomera Rocket Range: over twenty group shows with the Brushmen of the Bush since 1973 including Rome, New York and London & Los Angeles.

Jack is well known to most Australians and has starred in over 22 of his own TV shows and specials on various subjects concerning Australia and safe travel in the outback and he has written many books across arrange of practical subjects.

Jacks Paintings are true depictions of the warmth, vastness and desolate wonder of the outback of our country with the red earth colours and brilliant blue skies typical West of the great divide. To study Jacks works will lead you into his soul and a Pride and appreciation of the vast beauty of The Australian outback. Great artist, wonderful paintings

John Pickup, who was born in Manly, NSW pursued a career in broadcasting and first moved to Broken Hill to take over the position of regional manager for the ABC in 1962. In 1972 Eric Minchin asked him to join a group of artists to exhibit in Sydney and of course the rest is history. The ‘Brushmen of the Bush, was the headline in a story, the name was born and an a fabulous artistic journey led them and their works to international recognition and fame.

John’s paintings of ‘Don Quixote’, many with an outback flavour, and Johns wonderful sense of humour are a great hit where ever they are shown and as it was said In the book ‘A Big Country’ from the ABC program. “All his paintings are linked to themes and in a way he is less a painter of the bush than his fellow Brushmen. He may have live in and outback town but although he frequently paints outback scenes, he is using them only to tell human stories.”

Of course John has moved on and new themes have evolved centred around the performing arts, which have always been a major influence and a real passion in his life, and the semi-tropical area of Northern Queensland.

Hugh was born in Innisfail, Queensland in 1921 but spent most of his childhood in Broken Hill before setting out for Western Australia in his teens to work as a miner and prospector – at age 15 he worked underground in the Kalgoorlie gold fields – before joining the A.I.F. After five years’ service, he returned to Broken Hill where the stark beauty of the region gave him the inspiration to paint and becoming a full-time artist in 1976.

Hugh is a member of the “Brushmen of the Bush” and a self-taught artist who recreates, in his distinctive naïve style, the landscape and characters of Central Australia, in oils and acrylics. The minute detail he employs in his art works depicts the smallest log, bush or animal in his landscapes making him a favourite with all true art lovers.

He has held many successful exhibitions overseas and has exhibited extensively in Australia. He has received many awards and is represented in numerous Civic and private collections throughout the world.