James Fardoulys: A Queensland Naïve Artist

Venue: Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Dates: 27 March - 20 June 2010
Cost: Free

 

Naive, but not unsophisticated

The Queensland Art Gallery has certainly been boosting its international profile lately. The institution however remains true to its local roots by presenting an new exhibition celebrating the work of noted Queensland naïve artist James Fardoulys.

James Fardoulys: A Queensland Naïve Artist will feature more than 40 paintings and promises to be the most extensive exhibition of the late artist’s work to date.

"An immigrant to Queensland from the Greek island of Kythera in 1914, Fardoulys’s life and work over more than sixty years is an inspiring one that reflects our state’s diverse cultural background," according to QAG director Tony Ellwood.

This will be the the first time Fardoulys has been acknowledged with a state Gallery exhibition. It will be presented in the Xstrata Coal Queensland Artists’ Gallery, a space especially dedicated to highlighting the achievements of significant artists from the state.

James Fardoulys lived and worked in Stanthorpe, Goondiwindi and Southport, before settling in Brisbane, where he drove taxis for close to 30 years and began painting after his retirement in 1960.

James Fardoulys | Australia 1900-1975 | The start of Burke and Wills 1860 (detail) 1972 | Oil on board | 77 x 93cm; 88 x 101.5cm (framed) | Gift of Barbara Blackman through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 1998 | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery

Mr Ellwood said that while Fardoulys was proud of his Greek heritage, the subject matter of his paintings had largely been inspired by the experience of living in regional Queensland. ‘Fardoulys was a self-taught artist who used his unique vision to explore Australian history and the character of Queensland’s landscape,’ he said.

"A highlight of the exhibition is 'The start of Burke and Wills 1860' (1972) from the Gallery’s Collection, a work that reflects Fardoulys’s gift for fusing narratives about Australia’s history, in bright colours with a myriad of details.

"The exhibition also includes paintings such as 'A day of play on the Barcoo' (1965) and 'Infinity of time' (1964), images that are rich with history and symbolism. Especially appealing are Fardoulys’s many paintings of horses, birds and his beloved cat, Doula.

Mr Ellwood said that Fardoulys’s work had been enthusiastically promoted by local art critic Dr Gertrude Langer and artist Roy Churcher from the early 1960s and that his inventive compositions had earned him a deserved presence in Australian public collections.

"Fardoulys is one of Australia’s most notable naïve artists and we are very pleased to bring together such a significant collection of his works, including loans from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and from many generous private collectors."

The exhibition is accompanied by a 64 page publication that includes essays by Glenn Cooke, Research Curator, Queensland Heritage, QAG, Denis Conomos, the author of The Greeks in Queensland: A History from 1859-1945 and senior Brisbane artist Leonard Brown. This is available at the Gallery Store or online at australianartbooks.com.

David Edwards