Jack Absalom - aged 91
died - 22nd March 2019
Born in
Port Augusta, South Australia, he worked in the North Mine at
Broken Hill,
New South Wales, where he has resided for the past 66 years. He was brought up in the
Nullarbor, west of
Port Augusta,
South Australia and from an early age developed a wide knowledge of the Australian
outback from
Indigenous Australians (Aboriginals) who still existed in tribes at that time.
[1]
In 1972, Absalom made a trip to the
Flinders Ranges with a group of artists. Although he had never before painted, he felt a great urge to paint the landscape and a natural talent was discovered. He was one of the members of the
Brushmen of the Bush – a group of five artists who exhibited in
Australia and all over the world for many years raising money for charity.
[1] In April 1997 he opened his gallery in
Broken Hill which showcases his oil paintings, prints, publications, DVDs and his opal collection. Each year Absalom disappears into the Australian
outback for two months to paint.
He also starred in a number of television series produced by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) covering survival techniques and documentaries on the Australian
outback, including “Absalom's Outback” when he travelled to remote
outback locations in a
Chrysler Sigma.
[1]
Absalom has been the recipient of various awards, including “Australian Achiever of the Year Award” 1988 and the “
Advance Australia Award” in 1995 both acknowledging his contribution to art; “Broken Hill Citizenship Award” for his promotion of Broken Hill; and “Medal of the Order of Australia” (
OAM) in 2006 for service to the visual arts as a painter and to the community through fundraising for a range of charitable organisations.
[2]