Christopher Robin Orchard is a South Australian artist and arts educator who began as a sculptor but subsequently specialised in drawing. His character, the Bald Man, is a recurrent motif. Orchard is Associate Professor at Adelaide Central School of Art and was the subject of the 2017 SALA Festival monograph, Christopher Orchard: The Uncertainty of the Poet.[1] He is also the subject of the 2013 short documentary film Everyperson, by Jasper Button and Patrick Zoerner.[2][3]

Christopher Orchard
Born
Christopher Orchard

1950 (age 73–74)
NationalityAustralian
EducationSouth Australia College of Advanced Education
Known forDrawing
AwardsSALA Festival Featured Artist 2017
WebsitePersonal website

Biography edit

Orchard was born in South Australia in 1950.[4] Orchard's full name is Christopher Robin Orchard.[5] He completed an Advanced Diploma in fine Art, Sculpture and Painting at the South Australia College of Advanced Education.[1] He is a founding member of the Art Workers’ Union in 1979 and joined Central Studios in 1982.[6] From 1985-1987 he was a member of Air and Space Studios, London.[1] He joined the teaching staff of Adelaide Central School of Art in 1989.[1] In 2005, he was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at Flinders University.[1] Orchard held his first solo exhibition in Adelaide in 1975.[1] In 1986, he presented his first British solo exhibition in London.[1] In 2011, he presented his first American solo exhibition in New York.[1]

Artistic style and subject edit

Orchard began as a sculptor but came to specialise in drawing.[6] His works feature an avatar known as the Bald Man who emerged from Orchard’s “fight with the figure”[7] and who, according to Orchard, represents ”the entire history of what it means to be human”.[8]

Awards/Prizes/Residency edit

  • 1985-1986: Berry Street Studios Residency[9]
  • 2000: Gunnery Space[1]
  • 2000: Finalist, Dobell Drawing Prize[10]
  • 2001: Finalist, Dobell Drawing Prize[11]
  • 2005: Finalist, Dobell Drawing Prize[12]
  • 2006: Finalist, Dobell Drawing Prize[13]
  • 2015: Invited Artist, Kedumba Drawing Award[14]
  • 2016: Finalist, Paul Guest Prize[15]
  • 2017: SALA Festival Featured Artist[16]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Goldsworthy, Peter; Osborne, Margot; Ananda, Roy; Robinson, Julia; Taylor, Rod (2017). Christopher Orchard: The Uncertainty of the Poet. Mile End, South Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781743054925.
  2. ^ "DocWeek 2014 Program Guide". Issuu. p. 22. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  3. ^ Button, Jasper; Zoerner, Patrick (2013). "Everyperson". Vimeo. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  4. ^ Goldsworthy, Peter; Osborne, Margot; Ananda, Roy; Robinson, Julia; Taylor, Rod (2017). Christopher Orchard : the uncertainty of the poet. Mile End, South Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781743054925.
  5. ^ McCulloch, Alan; McCulloch, Susan; McCulloch Childs, Emily (2006). The new McCulloch's encyclopedia of Australian art (Fourth ed.). Melbourne, Vic.: Australian Art Editions and The Miegunyah Press. p. 748. ISBN 052285317X.
  6. ^ a b Goldsworthy, Peter; Osborne, Margot; Ananda, Roy; Robinson, Julia; Taylor, Rod (2017). Christopher Orchard: The Uncertainty of the Poet. Mile End, south Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781743054925.
  7. ^ Neylon, John (28 July 2017). "Appreciating Christopher Orchard's Hiss and Growl - The Adelaide Review". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  8. ^ Croall, Fiona (7 December 2017). "Christopher Orchard creator of the Bald Man". Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  9. ^ Goldsworthy, Peter; Osborne, Margot; Ananda, Roy; Robinson, Julia; Taylor, Rod (2017). Christopher Orchard: The Uncertainty of the Poet. Mile End South Australia: Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781743054925.
  10. ^ "Dobell Prize for Drawing (discontinued) finalists 2000 :: Art Gallery NSW". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Dobell Prize for Drawing (discontinued) finalists 2001 :: Art Gallery NSW". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Dobell Prize for Drawing (discontinued) finalists 2005 :: Art Gallery NSW". Art Gallery of New South Wales.
  13. ^ "Dobell Prize for Drawing (discontinued) finalists 2006 :: Art Gallery NSW". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  14. ^ "2015 Kedumba Drawing Award – The Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings". The Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Paul Guest Finalists 2016". Bendigo Art Gallery. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Christopher Orchard named 2017 SALA featured artist". SALA Festival. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

External links edit