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Charles Blackman 1928 - Present day

Style
Figurative and narrative

Career Status
Blue Chip

Biography
Charles Blackman is only one of two living, most important Australian artists still alive whose painting sold over one million dollars. Alice in Wonderland Sotheby's sold for $1.2 million, a record price for a living Australian artist

Official recognition eluded him until he was awarded the Rowney prize for drawing in 1959, swiftly followed by a successful exhibition at the Johnson Gallery, and simultaneously the award of the Helena Rubenstein Scholarship in 1960. The latter was to prove a remarkable year since he also won the Dyeson Endowment Award and the Crouch Prize. Blackman spent quite some time in London and his work was included in the Whitechapel Open Exhibition in 1961 and Tate Gallery exhibitions of Australian Art 1962/3. Blackman has since had exhibitions at every major international art centre.

By 1977, Blackman's status amongst Australian contemporary painters was such that an OBE was conferred on him 'for services to art'. In 1993 the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, staged the first major retrospective of Blackman's work, 'Schoolgirls and Angels' which toured to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.

Collections
1928 - Present Day
National Gallery of Australia
All state galleries
Expressionist figurative painter and print maker

Auction Record
Alice's Journey $1,020,000
Tempera and oil on composition board, 122 x 275 cm, Est: $700,000-900,000 Sotheby's Melbourne 21/11/2006, Lot No. 30

Awards
1997 OBE
1963 George Invitation Art Prize, Georges Gallery, Melbourne
1960 George Crouch Prize
1960 Wins Prize
1958 George Crouch Prize
1958 Rowney Prize

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