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“Pro” Hart was an Australian artist, born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, and is considered the father of the Australian Outback painting movement. His works are widely admired for capturing the true spirit of the outback.
He grew up on his family’s sheep farm in Menindee, New South Wales and was given the nickname “Professor” (hence “Pro”) by fellow workers at soft drink factory where he worked, evidently the name stuck because he loved to blow things up and inventing things.
At 19 “Pro” Hart started working at North Broken Hill Consolidated Mine, working long unground shifts and painting in his spare time.
It was during this time underground that “Pro” Hart instilled a deep passion to reflect in his art the realities and the hard conditions not only of a miner’s life but life in general.
Eventually his earnings increased to a point where he could focus on painting full-time which he did at 39.
“Pro” Hart visual descriptions of what he saw as the quintessential Australian works that captured space, light, shade, the bush, and the mystery of the outback.
Anyone who has travelled this vast, complex land would understand just how difficult it is to capture its essence with a brush, yet Pro managed it with a unique sensitivity and natural ability.
“Pro” Hart known by many as the ‘working man’s artist’ A prolific artist painting 10’s of thousands of images, his works are typically painted with oil or acrylic using paint brushes and sponges.His Artworks depict scenes of rural town life, topical commentary, and some have religious subjects.
“Pro” Hart drew upon techniques of layering, chiaroscuro, glazing, scumbling, scratching and Alla prima “Pro” Hart was also a sculptor working with welded steel, bronze and ceramics.
In 1960, at the age of 32 he married Raylee June Tonkin, 19 and together they had five children. He continued to paint and took art classes to help formalise his technique.
Pro was discovered by Kim Bonython a gallery owner from Adelaide in 1962, and his popularity as an outback artist began to climb.
Collection after collection would sell out, and Pro began traveling the world; “Pro” Hart met Kings and Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers with his art residing in large international collections.
His illustrations for the collection of Henry Lawson’s poems show keen powers of character observation combined with an obvious wit.
Known for his novel techniques including “cannon painting” and “balloon painting”, “Pro” Hart was using his own DNA as a mark of authenticity in his paintings in 2002.
Pro was one of the members of the Brush men of the Bush, a group of five artists who exhibited in Australia and all over the world for many years raising money for charity; the five members of the group were Pro Hart Eric Minchin Jack Absalom John Pickup Pat Coffee and Hugh Schulz.
He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1976; and in 1982 he received an Honorary Life Membership of Society International Artistique for outstanding artistic achievement. This is granted to only one artist per continent and in 1983 he received an Australian Citizen of the Year Award.
- 1962 First Solo Exhibition at Bonython Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia,
- 1963 Commenced Eureka Stockade and Captain Cook series of paintings,
- 1973 First Solo Exhibition, Qantas House, London,
- Represented at the Dusseldorf International Art Exhibition,
- Illustrated “Poems of Henry Lawson” – Ure Smith, 1974 Illustrated “Poems of Banjo Patterson” – Ure Smith, Larloona Exhibition, Sydney,
- 1975 Traveling Group Exhibition, Los Angeles, New York,
- London, Solo Show, Australian Commission,
- Hong Kong, Commenced Hong Kong Series of paintings and watercolors,
- 1976 Awarded M.B.E,
- Hong Kong Show,
- Sydney, Solo Show,
- Raffles Hotel, Singapore,
- Solo Show, Tokyo American Club, Tokyo, 1977
- Asian series exhibition, Sydney,
- “The Art of Pro Hart” published, Rigby Australia,
- 1978 Solo Show Hobart, Tasmania,
- Exhibited Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan in association with Grand Rapids World Affairs Council, America,
- Solo Exhibition Hong Kong,
- Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney Beach Scenes, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney,
- 1979 New York Exhibition,
- Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney, 1980 Exhibition,
- Leivak Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Exhibition, Cairo, Egypt, Israel and Egypt Series,
- Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney, 1981 Town Exhibition, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney,
- 1982 Honorary Life Member of the Society International Artistique,
- Exhibition Hong Kong, Exhibition
- “Outback Christmas”, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney,
- Illustrated “Christmas Story” Rigby Australia,
- 1983 Citizen of the Year Award, Broken Hill, N.S.W., Australia,
- 1984 Exhibition, Hong Kong,
- 1988 Australian Bicentennial Exhibition, Hong Kong,
- 1989 Exhibition “Beach Scenes and Other Works”,
- Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney, 1990
- Visions of Gallipoli, Infinite Art Gallery, Melbourne,
- Recent Paintings, “Flower Series”, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney, 1994
- Serving Brother – The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem,
- 1995 Honorary Life Governor – St John,
- 2001 Family Exhibition, World Heritage Art, Gold Coast International, Queensland,
- 2002 Masks Exhibition, House of Phillips Fine Art, Sydney•
- 2003 Opening of the Pro Hart Retrospective Touring Exhibition, Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash,
International Collections
- Harold Mertz, U.S.A,
- Lyndon Johnson, U.S.A,
- Prince Phillip, London,
- Cathay Pacific Airlines,
- Hong Kong, Menachem Begin,
- Israel, Madam Jihan El Sadat, Egypt,
- Warsaw National Gallery, Poland.
Australian Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, State Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, War Memorial, Canberra, University of N.S.W, Macquarie University, N.S.W, Art Gallery of N.S.W, Sydney Opera House, State Gallery of South Australia, Kim Bonython, South Australia, QANTAS Airlines, Margaret Carnegie, N.S.W.
Historical Prices at auction for artist
(“Pro” Hart works have continued to climb in value even after settling down from the pre Global Financial Crisis highs and the changes to the Self-Managed Super Funds in 2011 highs it is our opinion that buying ‘Pro Hart’ as well as other quality Australian art right now represents good value plus)
Below Chart shows the Percentage Gain in Average Annual Price of Paintings Sold for Pro Hart
NOTE: Some exclusions and limits apply, the above information is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as financial advice you should seek an independent financial advice consultant or tax adviser before proceeding with any financial decision The McCorry Collection Gallery and its directors are not tax advisers or financial advice consultants.
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