Paul Blahuta - Clean Running Backed by Ned
Paul (on right) with original ute owner and donor, Ron Fisher
Famous outback outlaw Ned Kelly puts pressure on an unsuspecting artist in Paul Blahuta's painting of a FJ ute. He has not choice. The artist must bend to Ned's way in pursuit of riches and feels compelled to use Ned's form and story as an integral part of outback history and landscape.
As co-illustrator of a series of children’s history books, Paul's use of bright colours and stylised forms is easily identified by even the youngest Australians. The large scale of his creation is a common element of many of his works.
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, at the age of eight in 1968, Paul commenced drawing, painting and working extensively with ceramics including the electric wheel, a draught kerosene kiln (which he and his mother and elder sister, Maria constructed) and experimenting with the mixing glazes.
Paul (on right) with
the ute's original owner
Paul graduated top of his high school art class and pursued a degree at “The College of Art / Seven Hills” in Brisbane where he graduated in 1981. From 1981 through to 1986, he was a full time Graphic Artist but continued to draw, paint and work with ceramics through this period.
Moving to Sydney in 1986, Paul commenced drawing and studies of the Sydney terrace houses, back streets and lane ways of Glebe. This fascination continues today and is depicted through several series of paintings ranging from palette knife to oil bar paintings. The move to Sydney provided a major shift from the direction of previous achievements and provided new influences including the use of palette knives.
His artwork evolved over the ensuing years taking a new turn in 1995 when Paul created his Swimmer Series and purchased one of Howard William Steer's ‘Burke and Wills' paintings. Paul and Howard discovered creative synergy and became good friends. Six years later, the pair formed “The Blood Brothers” and they continue to work collaboratively under this banner.
Paul recognizes creative influences which began as far back as his school days. Prior to Steer's recent influence, earlier inspiration came from the work of Sali Herman, Noel Counihan, Russell Drysdale and Charles Blackman, several Heidelberg artists and various impressionists.
Researching Noel Jack Counihan provided an influence for Paul's Manly Pavers Series, a comprehensive series completed in 2000. Additional series include "In a World Of their Own" depicting children playing in the back streets of the inner city. This series of works, commenced in 1998, displays Paul's palette knife technique using oil on boards of 122cm X 91.5cm in size.
Paul's work has been exhibited throughout Australia since 1995.
Books featuring art by Paul Blahuta and "The Blood Brothers" include:
“My Australia” - A series of six books written by Lisa McMahon and Paul Blahuta, art by “The Blood Brothers”
"Salt Water Heroes" - A story of Australian Surf Lifesaving. Art by Paul Blahuta.
"Ned" - A story of Ned Kelly - Art by “The Blood Brothers”
"Onwards" - A story of Burke & Wills - Art by “The Blood Brothers”
"Eureka" - A story of gold fever at Ballarat - Art by “The Blood Brothers”
"Botany Bay" - A story of James Cook - Art by “The Blood Brothers”
"The Hill" - A story of Broken Hill, the birth of a nation and BHP - Art by “The Blood Brothers”
Paul’s Artwork Series include:
The Swimmer
The Terrace House
The Suit
The Music
The Miners
The Australians
The Cat
"In a World of their Own"
The Pavers
The Hardline
The Fish
The Salt Water Heroes (Surf Lifesavers)
The Drover Series
“The Blood Brothers” Series include:
The First Australians
The Return of Burke and Wills
Paying the Kellys a Visit
NED
BHP - Broken Hill Mining Paintings
Captain Cook
Eureka Stockade
Shadows of Jack the Ripper
Kelly Cocky Country
Galleries where Paul's work has been exhibited
New South Wales
Woollahra Times Art Gallery - Sydney
Bandamora Art Gallery - Blue Mountains
Prouds Art Gallery - Sydney
Sylvania Waters Art Gallery
Howard Steer's Art Gallery - Broken Hill
Rydges Art Gallery - North Sydney
Sampatico Gallery - Sydney
Ansett Golden Wing Lounge - Cohen
Richard Martin Art - Paddington
Gallery at the Wentworth - Sydney
Wadi Gallery - Bondi
AD63 - Glebe
ACT
Archipelago Art - Canberra
National Museum of Australia-Canberra
Parliament House, Grand Ballroom - Canberra
Victoria
Collins Street Gallery - Melbourne
Lynne Wilton Gallery - Armidale
South Australia
The Art Room, Hyde Park Art Gallery - Adelaide
Liberator Gallery - Adelaide
Claire Valley Art Gallery - Claire Valley
Queensland
Red Hill Gallery - Brisbane
Lighthouse Gallery - Sunshine Coast
Coloundra Art Gallery - Sunshine Coast
LK Galleries - Subiaco
Exhibitions
1997
Group Show - Queen Street Fine Art Gallery - Sydney NSW
- Artists Gallery Hunters Hill - March - Sydney NSW
1999
Solo Show - Liberator Gallery, Adelaide
2000
Solo Show - The Interpolitan Café, Manly
Group Show - Big Boys Toys Sydney Convention Centre, Sydney
2001
Solo Show - Texas Regional Gallery, Queensland
2002
Solo Shows The Blood Brothers-“The Return of Burke and Wills" - Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
The Blood Brothers-“Paying the Kelly's a Visit" - Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2003
Solo Shows The Blood Brothers-"The First Australians" - The Art Room, Adelaide
The Blood Brothers-"Ned"- Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
The Blood Brothers-"Down Under" (120 years of Broken Hill) - Archipelago Art, Canberra
The Blood Brothers-“Ned Kelly” and the Mining Series - Gullotti Galleries, Perth
2004
Solo Shows The Blood Brothers-"Broken Hill in the Making" & "Ned Kelly" - Australian Arts Council, Singapore
The Blood Brothers-"Captain Cook - Landing in Deep Water" - Richard Martin Art, Paddington
2005
Solo Shows The Blood Brothers-"Eureka" - The Pantechnicon Gallery, Victoria
Solo Show The Pantechnicon Gallery, Victoria
2006
Solo Shows "Steering Ahead" - Works from various series - Art on Argent, Broken Hill
Solo Show The Lifeguard Series entitled "Salt Water Heroes" - LK Galleries, WA
Solo Show Selected works from The Lifesavers Series - National Museum of Australia, Canberra
2007
Solo Show Works from The Lifesaver Series and various Blood Brothers' series - Parliament House Grand Ballroom, Canberra
The Blood Brothers - "Ned Kelly" and an intriguing series of collaborated works about the infamous
"Rubbing Shoulders with the Kelly Gang" - LK Galleries, WA
The Blood Brothers - Collins Street Art Gallery, Melbourne
Fijian Theme - Works painted on location
2008
Solo Shows Drover Series - Forbes Art Gallery, Forbes
The Blood Brothers - Cricket Series - Forbes Art Gallery, Forbes
Permanent Sculpture
"Clean Running-Backed by Ned" constructed on location at Burrawang West Central NSW for :Utes inthe Paddock” gallery, Ootha NSW
"Clean Running Backed by Ned" was kindly sponsored by "Outback Magazine" with special thanks to Agriweld Engineering of Dubbo for the laser cutting.
More information about Paul Blahuta and his artwork can be found at www.bloodbrothers.com.au
