Brushmen of the Bush
Encyclopedia
Brushmen of the Bush was a painting
group of five artists who got together in Broken Hill, New South Wales
in 1973. It was active until 1989. The five members of the group were Pro Hart
, Eric Minchin, Jack Absalom
, John Pickup and Hugh Schulz.
Following their inaugural exhibition
in 1973, the name Brushmen of the Bush was coined by Lorraine Hickman for a two page article in the Australian Women's Weekly
. More than 50 subsequent exhibitions raised over one million six hundred and forty thousand Australian dollar
s for various charities, notably the Royal Flying Doctor Service. During the 1970s, Brushmen of the Bush exhibited in London
(twice), Rome, New York and Los Angeles in the[United States.].
THE Broken Hill City Council declared 2006 "The Year of the Brushmen of the Bush" to honour the Group's contribution to the city through art.
The Broken Hill Regional Gallery also mounted a "Brushmen of the Bush" Retrospective Exhibition, curated by Bettina MacAulay, (who also authored the very detailed history of the Group). The Brushmen of the Bush Retrospective Exhibition toured eleven regional galleries in NSW., Victoria, South Australia and Queensland from 2006 to 2009.
Forty four Brushmen exhibitions were staged for charity and further exhibitions organised by dealer and civic galleries have taken the total number of Brushmen of the Bush exhibitions to well over fifty.
The Group exhibitions were always staged in aid of charitable organisations (particularly for children) and donations of paintings by the Brushmen for auction and raffles swelled the commissions on sales to over $1,640,000 when CPI calculations adjust the 1973 to 1989 dollar figures to today's values.
Eric Minchin died on 15th June, 1994, Hugh Schulz on 23rd. September, 2005 and Pro Hart was afforded a State Funeral following his death on 28th. March 2006. The surviving Brushmen, Jack Absalom and John Pickup, live in Broken Hill, NSW, and Mackay, Queensland respectively
Broken Hill's current thriving arts scene traces its roots back to the Brushmen of the Bush..
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
group of five artists who got together in Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
in 1973. It was active until 1989. The five members of the group were Pro Hart
Pro Hart
Kevin Charles "Pro" Hart, MBE , born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, was considered the father of the Australian Outback painting movement and his works are widely admired for capturing the true spirit of the outback...
, Eric Minchin, Jack Absalom
Jack Absalom
Jack Absalom is an Australian artist, author and adventurer.Born in Port Augusta, South Australia, he worked in the North Mine at Broken Hill, New South Wales, where he has resided for the past 50 years...
, John Pickup and Hugh Schulz.
Following their inaugural exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
in 1973, the name Brushmen of the Bush was coined by Lorraine Hickman for a two page article in the Australian Women's Weekly
Australian Women's Weekly
The Australian Women's Weekly is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by ACP Magazines, a division of PBL Media based in Sydney. Audited circulation in 2009 exceeded 500,000 copies monthly, making it the largest magazine in Australia.-History:...
. More than 50 subsequent exhibitions raised over one million six hundred and forty thousand Australian dollar
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
s for various charities, notably the Royal Flying Doctor Service. During the 1970s, Brushmen of the Bush exhibited in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(twice), Rome, New York and Los Angeles in the[United States.].
THE Broken Hill City Council declared 2006 "The Year of the Brushmen of the Bush" to honour the Group's contribution to the city through art.
The Broken Hill Regional Gallery also mounted a "Brushmen of the Bush" Retrospective Exhibition, curated by Bettina MacAulay, (who also authored the very detailed history of the Group). The Brushmen of the Bush Retrospective Exhibition toured eleven regional galleries in NSW., Victoria, South Australia and Queensland from 2006 to 2009.
Forty four Brushmen exhibitions were staged for charity and further exhibitions organised by dealer and civic galleries have taken the total number of Brushmen of the Bush exhibitions to well over fifty.
The Group exhibitions were always staged in aid of charitable organisations (particularly for children) and donations of paintings by the Brushmen for auction and raffles swelled the commissions on sales to over $1,640,000 when CPI calculations adjust the 1973 to 1989 dollar figures to today's values.
Eric Minchin died on 15th June, 1994, Hugh Schulz on 23rd. September, 2005 and Pro Hart was afforded a State Funeral following his death on 28th. March 2006. The surviving Brushmen, Jack Absalom and John Pickup, live in Broken Hill, NSW, and Mackay, Queensland respectively
Broken Hill's current thriving arts scene traces its roots back to the Brushmen of the Bush..