Paul Blahuta - Clean Running Backed by Ned

Painted Ute titled Clean Running Backed by Ned - artist Paul Blahuta sponsored by Outback Magazine with special thanks to Agriweld Engineering Dubbo

Introduction

Born 1961 Brisbane, Queensland - Commenced Painting 1968

At the age of eight commenced drawing, painting and working extensively with ceramics including the electric wheel, a draught kerosene kiln and experimenting with the mixing glazes.

At the age of eight, constructed his own kerosene draught kiln with his mother and elder sister Maria.

Graduated from (HSC) at the top of his 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 was a full Graphic artist and continued to draw, paint and work with ceramics through this period.

Paul arrived in Sydney in 1986 in Glebe. At this time, commenced drawing and studies of the Sydney terrace houses, back streets and lane ways of glebe. This fascination continues today and depicted through several series of paintings ranging from palette knife to oil bar paintings. The move to Sydney provided a major influential shift in the direction of previous achievements and provided new influences including the use of palette knives.

Evolving from this was the swimmer series in 1995, the year he met Howard Steer. This resulted in Paul purchasing one of Howard’s paintings. This was a Burke and Wills painting which led to six years later became “The Blood Brothers” with Howard Steer.

INFLUENCES

Influences range as far back as his school days. The most recent influences in Paul's work include Howard William Steer who is a good friend and colleague in the Blood Brothers. Previously these included Sali Herman, Noel Counihan, Russell Drysdale and Charles Blackman, several Heidelberg artists and various impressionists.

Researching Noel Jack Counihan provided the influence towards the Manly Pavers Series. "The Pavers" are a comprehensive series to be completed in 2000.

Additional series include the "In a World Of their Own". The series relates to children playing in the back streets of the inner city and the works from 1998 are 122cm X 91.5cm in size, palette knife and are oil on board.

Exhibited work throughout Australia since 1995 representing a cross section of work and influences at the time from the mid 90s to the present.

Books available about Paul Blahuta and the Blood Brothers include;

Various works to date and series achieved include:

  1. The Swimmer Series / 1995 - present
  2. The Terrace House Series / 1995 - present
  3. The Suit Series / 1995 - 1996
  4. The Music Series / 1995 - 1996
  5. The Miners Series / 1996 - 1997
  6. The Australians / 1997
  7. The Cat Series / 1997
  8. The Series "In a World of their Own" / 1998
  9. The Pavers series / 1999
  10. The Hardline Series / 2000
  11. The Fish Series / 2001
  12. The Salt Water Heroes (Surf Lifesavers) / 2004
  13. The Drover Series / 2005

Blood Brothers Series include:

  1. The First Australians (Blood Brothers) / 2001
  2. The Return of Burke and Wills (Blood Brothers) / 2001 - 2002
  3. Paying the Kellys a Visit (Blood Brothers) / 2002
  4. NED (Blood Brothers) 2003
  5. BHP - Broken Hill Mining Paintings (Blood Brothers) 2003 - 2004
  6. CAPTAIN COOK (Blood Brothers) 2004
  7. Eureka Stockade (Blood Brothers) 2005
  8. Shadows of Jack the Ripper (Blood Brothers) 2006 - 2007
  9. Kelly Cocky Country - (Blood Brothers) 2007

Other Gallery Paul's work has been exhibited

Woollahra Times Art Gallery Sydney NSW
Archipelago Art Canberra ACT
The Art Room - Hyde Park Art Gallery Adelaide SA
Collins Street Gallery - Melbourne VIC
Red Hill Gallery - Brisbane QLD
Liberator gallery - Adelaide SA
Bandamora Art Gallery - Blue Mountains NSW
Prouds Art Gallery - Sydney NSW
Sylvania Waters Art Gallery NSW
Howard Steer's Art Gallery Broken Hill NSW
Rydges Art Gallery North Sydney NSW
Lighthouse Gallery Sunshine Coast QLD
Coloundra Art Gallery Sunshine Coast QLD
Sampatico Gallery Sydney NSW
Ansett Golden Wing Lounge - Vallery Cohen NSW
Wadi Gallery - Bondi / Sydney NSW
AD63 - Glebe / Sydney NSW
Claire Valley Art Gallery - Claire Valley SA
Richard Martin Art - Paddington - Sydney
Lynne Wilton Gallery - Armidale - Melbourne
Gallery at the Wentworth - Sydney NSW
LK Galleries Subiaco - Western Australia
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA ACT
PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA - GRAND BALL ROOM

EXHIBITIONS

1997
Group Show - Queen Street Fine Art Gallery - Sydney NSW
Group Show - Artists Gallery Hunters Hill - March - Sydney NSW
Group Show - Artists Gallery Hunters Hill - September - Sydney NSW

1999
Paul Blahuta - SOLO SHOW - Liberator Gallery–Adelaide SA

2000
Paul Blahuta - SOLO SHOW - The Interpolitan Café Manly - Sydney NSW
Group Show - Big Boys Toys Sydney Convention Centre - Sydney NSW

2001
Paul Blahuta - SOLO SHOW - Texas Regional Gallery - Queensland

2002
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "The Return of Burke and Wills" - Melbourne - Collins Street Gallery - May
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "Paying the Kelly's a Visit" - Melbourne - Collins Street Gallery - October

2003
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "The First Australians" - The Art Room - Hyde Park Adelaide - January 2003
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "Ned"- Red Hill Gallery Brisbane - March
BLOOD BROTHERS GROUP SHOW - Times Gallery Woollahra Sydney - September 1st
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - Archipelago Art Canberra - "Down Under" (120 years of Broken Hill) September 13th
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - Gullotti Galleries Perth - Ned Kelly
and the Mining Series (120 years of Broken Hill) October 24th

2004
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - Australia Arts Council - SINGAPORE March 3rd to March 17th "Broken Hill in the Making" & "Ned Kelly" to coincide with the Ned Kelly Movie Launch-
Federally funded by the Australian High Commission- Sponsored by QANTAS, British Airways, Austrade and ZOcards Singapore
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "Captain Cook - Landing in Deep Water" - Sydney - Richard Martin Art Paddington - Glenmore Road - May 26th

2005
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "Eureka" - VICTORIA
The Pantechnicon Gallery Vincent Street Daylesford Victoria - March 2005
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - VICTORIA
The Pantechnicon Gallery Vincent Street Daylesford Victoria - March 2005

2006
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - Broken Hill - New South Wales
Art on Argent - 17th March 2006 - "Steering Ahead" - Works from various series
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - WESTERN AUSTRALIA
LK Galleries - 16th March 2006 - The Lifeguard Series entitled "Salt Water Heroes"
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - CANBERRA - AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORRY
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA - December 2006 to January 2007 - Selected works from "The Lifesavers Series"

2007
PAUL BLAHUTA & Blood Brothers SOLO SHOW - CANBERRA - AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORRY - Parliment House Grand Ball Room opened by Senatoer Barnaby Joyce - Works from the Lifesavers, and various Blood Brothers series - September 2007
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - "Ned Kelly" - Western Australia
LK Galleries - July 2007 - An intriguing series of collaborated works about the infamous "Rubbing Shoulders with the Kelly Gang"

2008
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - Collins Street Art Gallery - Melbourne
February 2007 - 33 works planned for this exhibition of the latest Australian historical theme
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - Fijian Theme - Works painted on location - July 2008
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SHOW - Drover Series - Forbes Art Gallery - October 2008
PAUL BLAHUTA - SOLO SCULPTURE PROJECT - Permanant outdoor fixture called "Clean Running-Backed by Ned" constructed on location in the outback at Burrawang West Central New South Wales- October 2008
BLOOD BROTHERS SOLO SHOW - Cricket Series - Forbes Art Gallery - December 2008 - 25 works from the history of the game of Cricket

"Clean Running Backed by Ned" was kindly sponsored by "Outback Magazine" with special thanks to Agriweld Engineering of Dubbo for the laser cutting.