Godfrey Blow (born 6 October 1948) is an artist based in Kalamunda, Western Australia. He is the founder of the
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
Stuckists
Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.North Hykeham,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
, England on the same day as fellow
Stuckist
Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.Eamon Everall. After attending
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate ...
where he gained a BA Hons degree and Manchester Metro University, where he qualified as a teacher, Blow emigrated to Australia in 1982. Since then he has made his living by teaching and through his artwork. More recently the emphasis has been on his art, as his work has increasingly become a featured part of private and public collections in Australia, including Artbank, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, University of Western Australia and the collections of the cities of Bunbury, Albany and
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
.
In 2001 Judith McGrath reviewed his 2001 solo show at The Church Gallery:
He first joined the Stuckists in 2002, when he founded the Perth Stuckists after a conversation with Stuckism founder,
Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...
. Since then he has exhibited with the group, most notably in their landmark exhibition, '' The Stuckists Punk Victorian'' at the
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group.
History of the Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...
during the 2004
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is the largest international contemporary art festival in the United Kingdom.
Every two years, the city of Liverpool hosts an extensive range of artworks, projects, and a programme of events. The biennial commissions leading ...
. He is also one of the featured artists exhibiting in the Triumph of Stuckism; an exhibition of new Stuckist paintings curated by Naive John, which comprises part of Liverpool's 2006 Biennial.
His highly finished paintings are worked on over many months, and draw mainly from the often arid and rocky landscape which surrounds his home. In his use of hot, earth colours and crisp detail, he is quintessentially an Australian artist pursuing typically Australian themes. In October 2006, Blow was a finalist in Australia's richest award for landscape painting, the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale Art Prize.
Exhibitions
Solo Shows.
*2014 Harvison Gallery, ''Landscape, Sea and Beyond'', 195 Brisbane Street, Perth
*2006 Stafford Studios, "Symbols & Metaphors", Cottesloe, Perth, W.A.
*2001 Church Gallery, Claremont, Perth, W.A.
*1998 Gomboc Gallery, James Street, Middle Swan, W.A.
*1996 Gomboc Gallery, James Street, Middle Swan, W.A.
*1993 The Geraldton Regional Gallery, 24 Chapman Road, Geraldton, W.A.
*1992 Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery,"Facing the Dawn", University of Western Australia, Perth, W.A.
*1989 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, W.A.
*1986 Quentin Gallery, Claremont, Perth, W.A.
*1984 Undercroft Gallery, University of Western Australia, Perth, W.A.
*1983 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, W.A.
* Glyde Gallery, Mosman Park, Perth, W.A.
*1980 Hendon Library, Hendon, London, England.
*1976 Barnet Arts Centre, London, England.
Collections
*The Art Gallery of Western Australia
*Curtin University of Technology
*City of Bunbury
*Artbank
*Education Department of Western Australia
*Holmes a Court Collection
*The University of Western Australia
*Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
*City of Fremantle
*City of Albany
*Sheffield Hallam University
*Dr John Collis
*Various private collections in Australia, France, India & U.K.
Awards
*1984 Bunbury City Invitation Art Purchase Award, WA.
*1985 Western Australia Week Invitation Art Award, WA.
*1987 Silver Anniversary Art Award, 25th Albany Art Competition, WA.
*1987 Highly Commended, Royal Agricultural Society of WA Invitation Art Award, WA.
*1993 Highly Commended, The City of Gosnells Art Award, WA.
*2002 Cossack Art Award, Painting, WA.
*2006 Finalist for The Fleurieu Peninsula Biennial Art Prize for Australian Landscape Painting, South Australia.
*2007 Highly Commended, Minnawarra Art Award, City of Armadale, WA.
*2007 Mandorla Art Award Finalist, WA.
Books
*Germaine, Max "Artists and Galleries of Australia", 1990
*Rykes, Graham "A Buyers Guide to Australian Art", 1992
*Thorpe, D.W. "Who's Who of Australian Visual Artists", 1995
* Ed. Frank Milner, 2004, "The Stuckists Punk Victorian" National Museums Liverpool,