John Brack (10 May 1920 – 11 February 1999) was an Australian painter, and a member of the

Antipodeans The Antipodeans (from the Greek: ἀντίποδες meaning literally “those at the antipodes”) were a group of Australian modern artists who asserted the importance of figurative art, and protested against abstract expressionism. Though t ...

group. According to one critic, Brack's early works captured the idiosyncrasies of their time "more powerfully and succinctly than any Australian artist before or since. Brack forged the iconography of a decade on canvas as sharply as

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film pr ...

did on stage."

Life

During World War 2 (1940-1946) VX107527 Lieutenant John Brack served with the Field Artillery. Brack was Art Master at

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denomination ...

(1952–1962). His art first achieved prominence in the 1950s. He also joined the

Antipodeans Group The Antipodeans (from the Greek: ἀντίποδες meaning literally “those at the antipodes”) were a group of Australian modern artists who asserted the importance of figurative art, and protested against abstract expressionism. Though t ...

in the 1950s which protested against

abstract expressionism Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

. He was appointed Head of

National Gallery of Victoria Art School The National Gallery of Victoria Art School, associated with the National Gallery of Victoria, was a private fine arts college founded in 1867 and was Australia's leading art school of 50 years. It is also referred to as the 'National Galler ...

(1962–1968), where he was an influence on many artists and the creation of the expanded school attached to the new gallery building.

Style

Brack's early conventional style evolved into one of simplified, almost stark, shapes and areas of deliberately drab colour, often featuring large areas of brown. He made an initial mark in the 1950s with works on the contemporary Australian culture, such as the iconic ''

Collins St., 5 pm ''Collins St., 5 pm'' is a 1955 painting by Australian artist John Brack. The painting depicts office workers walking along busy Collins Street in Melbourne after finishing work for the day"Blank-faced office workers hurry by like sleep-walkers ...

'' (1955), a view of rush hour in post-war Melbourne. Set in a bleak palette of browns and greys, it was a comment on the conformity of everyday life, with all figures looking almost identical. A related painting '' The Bar'' (1954) was modelled on

Manet A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) or mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a decentralized type of wireless network. The network is ad hoc because it does not rely on a pre-existing infrastructure, such as routers in wired networks or access points ...

's 1882 ''

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère ''A Bar at the Folies-Bergère'' (french: Un bar aux Folies Bergère) is a painting by Édouard Manet, considered to be his last major work. It was painted in 1882 and exhibited at the Paris Salon of that year. It depicts a scene in the Folies ...

'', and satirised the six o'clock swill, a social ritual arising from the early closing of Australian pubs. Most of these early paintings and drawings were unmistakably satirical comments against the Australian Dream, either being set in the newly expanding post-war suburbia or taking the life of those who lived there as their subject matter. In the 1970s Brack produced a long series of highly stylised works featuring objects such as pencils in complex patterns. These were intended as allegories of contemporary life.

Period and themes

Brack's works cover a wide range topics and themes. He often did a series of works on a particular theme over a number of years. His portraits, including self-portraits, and portraits of family, friends and commissions, and his paintings of nudes were produced throughout his career. * War time drawings (1943–1945) * Scenes of urban life (Shops, street scenes etc.) (1952– * Racecourse (1953–1956) * School, the playground (1959–60) * Wedding (1960–61) * Shop Windows (1963–1977) * Ballroom Dancers (1969) * Gymnastics (1971–1973) * Postcards and implements (1976– * Pencils and pens (1981– * Mannequins (1989–90) ''The Art of John Brack'' by Sasha Grishin includes a

catalogue raisonné A ''catalogue raisonné'' (or critical catalogue) is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known artworks by an artist either in a particular medium or all media. The works are described in such a way that they may be reliably identified ...

of his work to 1990. The catalogue for the exhibition at Heide Museum of Modern Art in 2000 includes works to 1994.

Exhibitions and auctions

A major retrospective exhibition of Brack's work opened at the National Portrait Gallery in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

on 24 August 2007, National Portrait Gallery, Old Parliament House, 24 August 2007 – 18 November 2007. the last major exhibition for the gallery before its relocation. Brack's widow, Helen Maudsley, an artist in her own right, attended the opening and commented that Brack was not concerned with the social standing of the sitter, but rather the artistic merit of their participation in the piece. Brack's painting ''The Bar'' sold for $3.2 million in April 2006, while in May 2007 his painting ''The Old Time'' sold for $3.36 million at auction in Sydney, a record for a painting by an Australian artist. * 2020 'Laughing Child' (1958) was scheduled for auction in Sydney on 24 June 2020. It is a portrait of the artist's daughter Charlotte, aged four and is described as "one of Australian art's most compelling representations of childhood". * 200
John Brack: Retrospective ExhibitionThe Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
* 2006–200
'The Nude in the Art of John Brack'
MacClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Langwarrin * 199
'John Brack – Inside and Outside'
works in the N.G.A. collection,

National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia (NGA), formerly the Australian National Gallery, is the national art museum of Australia as well as one of the largest art museums in Australia, holding more than 166,000 works of art. Located in Canberra in th ...

, Canberra * 199
'John Brack and Fred Williams'

Art Gallery of South Australia The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...

, Adelaide * 1987–88 'John Brack – A Retrospective'
National Gallery of Victoria
Melbourne * 1981 'Drawings, 1945–79',

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...

Gallery, Melbourne * 1977 'Paintings and Drawings, 1945–77',

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

* 1977 'Selected Paintings, 1947–77',

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public university, public research university in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1887 by Francis Ormond, RMIT began as a night school offering cla ...

Gallery, Melbourne

Notes and references

External links

Self-portrait 1955

John Brack
at the

Art Gallery of New South Wales The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

*
''The Sewing Machine'' 1955 at

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia. Established in 1884 as the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery by the citizens of Ballarat, both the building and part of its collection is listed on the Victorian ...

.
John Brack at OnlyMelbourne

Images of John Brack's prints at ''Prints and Printmaking''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brack, John 1920 births 1999 deaths Artists from Melbourne Australian printmakers 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian male artists 20th-century printmakers Australian male painters Australian military personnel of World War II Military personnel from Melbourne People from South Melbourne National Gallery of Victoria Art School alumni Melbourne Grammar School