Gordon Bennett (artist) facts for kids

Gordon Bennett (born 9 October 1955 – died 3 June 2014) was an amazing Australian artist. He had both Aboriginal and Anglo-Celtic family roots. Born in Monto, Queensland, Bennett became a very important artist in modern Indigenous Australian art.

Gordon Bennett: A Visionary Artist

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Gordon Bennett was born in Monto, Queensland, in 1955. When he was four, his family moved to Nambour. He went to Nambour State High School.

At 15, he left school and worked different jobs. Later, he decided to study art. He went to the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane from 1986 to 1988.

His Art and What It Means

Gordon Bennett's art often showed things he saw when he was young. In 1991, his painting Nine Ricochets won a big award. This award was called the Moët & Chandon Australian Art Fellowship. This quickly made him a famous artist in Australia.

Bennett lived and worked in Brisbane. He created paintings, prints, and used different types of media in his art.

His art often explored important ideas about Australian history. He looked at how people saw Aboriginal culture. He also questioned ideas about national identity.

Exhibitions Around the World

In 2004, Bennett had a special art show called Three Colours. He shared this show with another artist, Peter Robinson. This show traveled to several art galleries in Victoria. These included the Heide Museum of Modern Art and the Bendigo Art Gallery.

Later in 2007, he had a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. This show looked at his works about colonialism. Colonialism is when one country takes control of another land.

Bennett's art was shown in many big art events around the world. These events are called biennales. He showed his work in cities like Sydney, Venice, Shanghai, and Berlin.

His Views on Identity

Gordon Bennett felt it was important to speak his mind. He did not want to be seen only as a spokesperson for Aboriginal people. In 1996, he wrote a special statement. He called it a "manifest toe," playing on the word "manifesto."

In this statement, he said he wanted to avoid being called a "professional Aborigine." He felt this label did not show his full background. He also had Scottish and English family heritage.

At the same time, he hoped his young daughter would grow up in a society. A society where her life would not be defined just by her race. Challenging racism in Australia was a common theme in Bennett's artworks.

Leaving a Legacy

Gordon Bennett passed away in Brisbane on 3 June 2014. He was 58 years old.

Judith Ryan was a senior curator at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2004. She described Bennett as "an artist's artist." She said he was "like no other artist currently working."

She noted that artists like Jackson Pollock and Basquiat influenced his style. Bennett's art was deep and made people think. It encouraged them to reflect on what it means to be Australian.

Bennett's artworks are in most major public art collections in Australia. This includes the Queensland Art Gallery. His work is also in important collections overseas.

In September 2017, one of Bennett's paintings was unveiled in London. It was his 1991 work called Possession Island. It is now displayed at the Tate Modern gallery.

See also

• Visual arts of Australia