Leo Robba

Blood trees

Exhibition dates: Wed 02 to Sat 19 April 2008
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In 2001, I was fortunate enough to spend some time at Bundanon, the Boyd family’s most wondrous gift to the nation’s artists, sharing my time there with fellow artist, and ‘master cook’ John R Walker.

It was an incredibly productive time and a great opportunity to immerse myself in the landscape.

Bundanon is visually such a diverse place; a rainforest, farming land on the river flats, stretches of sandy beaches on the edge of the Shoalhaven River, creeks, rugged escarpments and formal gardens surrounding the Boyd house.
 
When working directly from the landscape, I tend to try to work with an open mind, looking for the possibilities and responding intuitively rather than just seeking out the images that would normally attract me.

I made paintings and drawings of all the different landscape variations at Bundanon.

Each afternoon for several weeks, I would set myself up and wait for the sunset, the changing light coming in across the hills and illuminating the flame trees and the river flats.

Each hour, each day totally different, with a need to work fast and to try to catch something of this special place.

At the time Bundanon was surrounded by distant bushfires and the smoke haze added an extra element of eerie disquiet to the light and sounds.

But as time passes, things change as memory takes hold, and the images that stayed with me were these strange river flats broken up randomly with odd clumps of Illawarra flame trees, bordered by a river, hidden beneath an undulating escarpment.
 
These new works are based on old drawings and some photographs from my time at Bundanon.  They are not actual depictions of particular scenes but composites and fragments of a landscape that has stayed with me yet changed with time and on reflection.
 
I also need to make a confession. My son Lucien came up with the title of the show.  When talking to me about the paintings he somehow got into his head the term Blood Trees and persisted on calling them that.

After a while it just seemed to fit.
 
As an aside...it’s surprising that I got so much work done during my stay at Bundanon as John R. Walker was constantly pestering me to go fishing.  He’d heard from a local that the bream were on.

Not being one for blood sports, he needed someone to do his dirty work. He acquired some fresh worms from the cleaner and offered to row the dingy the two kilometres to the spot.

Needless to say, I can highly recommend John’s Malay Blacked Bream with braised vegetables served with rice.
 
Leo Robba

Education

Leo Robba is a Sydney based artist currently researching a Masters of Fine Art on Regionalism in Australian Landscape Painting at The University of Newcastle. The Newcastle, Maitland and Dungog area has been the major inspiration and subject matter for his work.

Represented by Damien Minton Gallery Sydney
Bowen Galleries, Wellington,NZ

1962Born Bundaberg, Queensland
1979-82Applied Art, Illustration & Design,
       Queensland College of Art

Solo exhibitions

1984Spring Hill Gallery, Brisbane
1985Wickham Street Gallery, Brisbane
1986Gallery One, Sydney
1988Holdsworth Contemporary Galleries, Sydney
1989Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1990Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
1991Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
       Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane
1992Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
1993The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
1994Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane
       The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
       Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
1995The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
1996Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane
1997Access Contemporary Art Gallery, Sydney
1999Access Contemporary Art Gallery, Sydney
2000Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane
2000Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
2001Access Contemporary Art Gallery, Sydney
2001Doggett Street Studio, Brisbane
2004Perfect One Day, Maitland Regional Art Gallery
2004Around Dungog, The Dungog Art Gallery
2005Gardens of Eden and Other Views, Damien Minton
       Gallery, Sydney

Mixed exhibitions

1983L J Harvey Drawing Prize, Queensland Art Gallery
1986Gallery One, Sydney
       Nidus Gallery, Sydney
1987Queensland Arts Council Touring Exhibition
       The Age of Collage (50 years of collage in Australia)
       Holdsworth Contemporary Galleries, Sydney
       Nidus Gallery, Sydney
1990Amnesty International Figurative Art Award,
       Painters Gallery, Sydney
       ACAF.2, Holdsworth Galleries; Victor Mace Fine Art
       Gallery; Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne.
       Miniatures, Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
       Visual Instincts, Development of Drawing in the 80s,
       Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1993Landscape Painting, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
       Winter Drawing Show, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
1994Straight From The Studio , Bowen Galleries,
       Wellington, NZ
       ACAF.4, Bowen Galleries, Royal Exhibition Building,
       Melbourne
       Assemblage, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
       Flower Paintings, Bowen Galleries, Wellington, NZ
       Christmas - New Paintings, The Beatty Gallery, Sydney
1996-2000Birthday/Survey Show, Access Contemporary Art
       Gallery, Sydney
1997The Peace Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
1998Summer Show, Bowen Galleries, Wellington,
       New Zealand
1999New Sculpture, Access Contemporary Art Gallery,
       Sydney
2000Works on Paper Fair, Access Contemporary Art Gallery,
       Sydney
2001Peer Pressure, Access Contemporary Art Gallery,
       Sydney
2001Mysterious Terrain, Nick Mitzevich Gallery, Newcastle
2001Collectibles, Michael Carr Gallery, Sydney
2001Over the back fence, Bowen Galleries, New Zealand
2001Cool, Michael Carr Gallery, Sydney
2001Summer Show, Doggett Street Studio, Brisbane
2001Christmas show, Michael Carr Gallery, Sydney
2002Landscape, Michael Carr Gallery, Sydney
2002Jo Sonjas Prize, New England Region Art Gallery
       and Museum, Armidale
2002PackSaddle, New England Region Art Gallery
       and Museum, Armidale
2002Seascapes, Bowen Galleries, Wellington NZ
2002Art About - Open Studio, National Art School
2002 - 2003Heat, The Noosa Region Art Gallery, Tewantin
2002Christmas Doggett St Studio, Christmas
2003Wanderings, Maitland Regional Art Gallery
2003Bathers Pavillion, Mosman, Sydney
2003Summer Show, Doggett Street Studio, Brisbane
2004Pub Culture, Maitland Regional Art Gallery
2004Around Newcastle, Damien Minton Gallery, Newcastle
2004Art on the Rocks, The Rocks, Sydney
2004Landscape paintings, Pialigo Estate Vinyard, Camberra
2005Art on the Rocks, The Rocks, Sydney
2005Landscape, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2005Dog Trumpet, Michael Nagy Gallery, Sydney
2005Group Show, Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney
2005Drawing Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2005Selected Works, Wellington Airport, Bowen
       Galleries, New Zealand
2006Same Place, Different View, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2006Post Cards From the Desert, Damien Minton Gallery,
       Sydney
2006View of the River, Maitland Regional Gallery
2006The Drawing Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2006Dog Trumpet, NG Art, Woolaraha, Sydney
2006Landscape, Bowen Galleries, Wellington, New Zealand
2006Moving around the Landscape,Damien Minton Gallery,
       Sydney
2007Same Place, Many View, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2007There is No Place Like Home, NG Art Gallery, Sydney

Published/ reproduced

1988Review/Reproduction, SMH, Bronwyn Watson, Nov 3
1990Review/Reproduction, SMH, Bronwyn Watson, Jun 29
       Review, Dominion, NZ, Rob Taylor, Sept 11
1991Review, Australian, Elwyn Lynn, May 4
1993Review, SMH, Bronwyn Watson, Feb 26
       SMH, Review, Bronwyn Watson, Aug 20
       SMH, Review, Bronwyn Watson, Nov 19
1994Review/Reproduction, Courier Mail, Sue Smith, June 9
       Evening Post, NZ, Stephen Cain, Nov 28
       Review/Reproduction, SMH, Bronwyn Watson, Aug 22
1997SMH, Bruce James, Dec 19
       Australian Financial Review, Reproduction, Weekend
       Review, June 21
1998Reproduction, Financial Review
1999City File, Bruce James, Spectrum, SMH, Jan 23
2001SMH, Courtney Kidd, Metro, Feb 2
       SMH, Metropolitan, Feb 5
       SMH, Metropolitan, Feb 6
       SMH, Reproduction, Metropolitan, Feb 9
       SMH, Review, Newcastle Herald, Jill Stowell, Mar 10
       SMH, Reproduction, Metropolitan, Aug 27
       The Dominion, Review, Wellington NZ, Sept 3
2004Newcastle Herald, Weekender, Reproduction Jan 10
       SMH, Forty Eight Hours, Lenny-Anne Low
       Reproduction and review, Jan 22
       The Dungog Cronicle, Reproduction and review, Jan 8
       Newcastle Herald, Weekender, Reproduction Jan 17
       Sunday Telegraph, Reproduction and review, Jan 11
       Newcastle Herald, Weekender, Feb 7
       Village Voice, March 5
       Newcastle Herald, Weekender, Reproduction March 17
       SMH, Domain, Events, Aug 26
       The Sunday Telegraph, Review, Sept 4
       The Land, Magazine, Reproduction and review, Sept 9
       The Dungog Cronicle, Reproduction and review, Sept 8
       SMH, Travel, Picture Perfect, Nov 6
2005SMH, Spotlight, Oct 19
       SMH, Spectrum, Oct 29
       The Daily Telegraph, Weekend Planner, 29 Oct
2006Newcastle Herald, Donna Sharpe, 27 Mar
       SMH, Spectrum, Open Gallery, 25 Mar
       SMH, Domain, Events, Nov 24
       SMH, Katrina Lobley, Mar 18
       The Daily Telegraph, Weekend Planner, 25 Mar
       Travel and Leisure, Toil on Canvas, Robert Milliken,
       1 April
       SMH, Spectrum, John McDonald, 14 June
       Travel and Leisure, Desert Postcards, 1 June
       SMH, Spectrum, Open Gallery, 8 July
       SMH, Stay In Touch, 24 July
       SMH, Spectrum, 5 Aug

Represented

Maitland Regional Gallery
New England Region Art Gallery and Museum
Armidale, The Bundanon Trust Collection, Brisbane City Hall
Art Gallery & Museum; Tel Pacific, Sydney, Phillips Fox, Wellington
Private collections NZ; UK, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Ethiopia