Shane Gehlert - Epitaph to Fossil Fuels

“Give me a home, where the Jackalopes roam…” Undoubtedly, this title, personifies the free ranging, wild eyed imagination of Australian surrealist artist, Shane Gehlert.
Shane’s unique approach to painting comes from a rather unconventional life, an uninhibited, self taught painting style and a wander lust for travel. Perhaps his paintings personify the “she’ll be right mate” culture of the Australian psyche.

Although, born and raised in the suburbs of Southern Australia, Shane soon developed a great affinity for the ‘bush’ and the strange creatures that inhabit the arid lands of the Australian desert. Many a school break was spent visiting the vast outback sheep stations, (Shane’s father was an accountant for a pastoralists firm.) Soon, the vibrant colors and stark light and contrast, were forever etched into his mind’s eye.

Shane began his full time art career in 1992, in the dry, arid regions of central Australia, in, the small mining town of Broken Hill.
His paintings soon built a solid reputation with galleries and the public. The birth of his iconic ‘Chrome Kangaroos’ forever solidified his reputation as a significant artist, with a highly individual style. The kangaroos soon anthropomorphized into a chrome female form, subjects that are both still carried to this day.

Shane’s paintings are a strange combination of realism, fantasy art, sci-fi, surrealism and political satire.
“I feel it is an artist’s role, to record the images, emotions and climatic undercurrents that we encounter, in this brief moment we are here. Our culture, thoughts, feelings and experiences, are all unique to this snapshot in time. Everything that is truly within us, expressed outwardly, openly, honestly and plausibly, laid bare for the scrutiny of the public, is of immense social importance. Anything else is just ‘wall fluff!’

Shane’s recent series of paintings have evolved into a diverse array of subject matter. With characters, such as ‘Saint Bilby’ the patron Saint of tree huggers, ‘Uncle Sam’, the irascible Tasmanian Devil, clockwork Marsupial mice and hybrid mechanical Bandicoots. These are juxtaposed against real and imagined backdrops, viewed sanguinely by the sensuous chrome beauties or alternately, reflected in Shane’s iconic Metallic Macropods (chrome Kangaroos). These symbolic figures parody the folly of mankind, in its triumphs and failed attempts, to engineer and manipulate the natural Diaspora of this blue planet.

Upon his recent travels through the USA, Shane discovered a great affinity with the desert landscapes of Arizona and New Mexico. The vibrant colors and clear blue skies, reminiscent of his time spent in the ‘outback’ of Australia. This is evident in his new series of paintings, based on those vistas and his interpretation of the diverse cultural aspects of the South West. Time can only tell what new subjects will evolve via the brush, through the tangled imaginative mindscape of this colorful Australian character.

Shane’s work has been exhibited all around Australia in many group and solo exhibitions. This is complimented, by his colorful forays into his so called “experimental shameless media self promotion field” which includes: a mural on a $17 million SAAB aircraft, painting from a hovering helicopter, and texture and color metamorphosis, using a shotgun. Not to forget, a tongue in cheek rendition of “Australian Green Poles” which was offered to the Australian National Gallery? This was to baby sit the empty spot left by Jackson Pollock’s ‘Blue Poles’ while it was touring in the U.S.A.

Shane’s unique works are held in private and corporate collections all around the world.
His work has featured in many media publications, books and television shows, both in Australia and internationally.

These days, Shane mostly works from his studio in Mooloolah, Queensland (Aboriginal for black snake). He shares his private farm paradise, with partner Cristine, Max the Blue Heeler, Lucy, the Border Collie and a large array of strange and wonderful bush critters, some which appear in his works!

Shane's artwork can be found on www.outbackart.com.au  and  www.aridzoneart.com 

SELECTED BIOGRAPHY

Group Exhibitions
1995 Emerging Visual Art Group exhibition - Pulteney Grammar School, Adelaide
1995 Group exhibition - Royal Flying Doctor Service , Darling Harbour , Sydney
1995 Joint exhibition - Kym Hart , Young , NSW
1996 Group exhibition - Wagga Wagga, NSW
1996 Group exhibition - Arid Zone Artists , Melbourne
1996 Group exhibition - Arid Zone Artists , Leasingham Wines, Clare , SA
1996 Group exhibition - Arid Zone Artists , Barry Stern Gallery, Sydney
1996 Royal Flying Doctor Exhibition , IBM Building, Darling Harbour , Sydney
1996 King's School Group exhibition, Sydney
1996 Proud's Gallery , Sydney
1996 Proud's Gallery - Philippines group exhibition
1996 Group exhibition - Newcastle
1997 Group exhibition -Arid Zone Artists- Boulder Town Hall, Kalgoorlie
1997 Group exhibition-Arid Zone Artists-Gomboc Gallery , Perth
1997 Bunbury art show, Bunbury WA
1997 King’s School Group Exhibition, Sydney
1997 Group exhibition - Arid Zone Artists, Bribie Island, Queensland
1997 Group exhibition- Arid Zone Artists, Berry, NSW
1997 Group exhibition- Avoca, NSW
1998 Group exhibition- Westfield Parramatta, Sydney, (artist in residence)
1998 Bunbury art show, Bunbury WA
1998 King’s School Exhibition, Sydney
1998 Group exhibition- Arid Zone Artists, Delshan Gallery, Melbourne
1998 Royal Flying Doctor Exhibition , IBM Building, Darling Harbour , Sydney
1998 Joint exhibition- Howard Steer, Eumundi, Qld.
1999 Bunbury art show, Bunbury WA
2000 Arid Zone Artists - The Sydney Art Gallery, Exhibition centre, Sydney
2000 Arid Zone Artists - Delshan Gallery, Melbourne
2000 Group exhibtion - Bandamora gallery/ Darling Harbour
2000 Arid Zone Artists - Exhibition Centre, Melbourne
2001 Arid Zone Artists - Exhibition centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney
2002 Arid Zone Artists - Toowoomba, Qld
2003 Group Exhibition - Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2003 Arid Zone Artists -Boyd Gallery, Sydney
2003 Arid Zone Artists - Toowoomba, Qld
2004 Group Exhibition - Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2004 Affordable Art Show – Gallery Collections, Melbourne
2004 Affordable Art Show – Gallery Collections, Sydney
2005 Affordable Art Show – Gallery Collections, Melbourne
2005 Affordable Art Show – Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Chalk farm Gallery – New Mexico

Solo Shows
1995 The Country Practice Gallery , Melbourne
1996 The Country Practice Gallery , Melbourne
1999 Delshan Gallery, Melbourne
2001 Delshan Gallery, Melbourne
2003 Delshan Gallery, Melbourne
2004 Art Gallery Collections, Gold Coast, QLD
2006 Manyung Gallery, Melbourne

Corporate Commissions
1995 Broken Hill City Council - Heritage Art Trail and Exhibition
1998 Kendall Airlines - Saab 340 Aircraft mural
1997 Broken Hill city airport mural
2002 Pinnacles mines Pty Ltd, NSW
2004 Personal Customs Services, Sydney NSW
2005 E-Commerce solutions, Southpost Qld
2007 DLD Designers & Planners, Perth, WA

Recent important aquisitions
Broken Hill City Council
Arid Zone Artists - Whyalla City Council
Southern Imperial Inc. - Chicago
Parramatta city council - Sydney
Kendall Airlines

Media Representations

Television:
Healthy Wealthy and wise - 1995
Good Morning Australia - Bert Newton - Melbourne, 1995
Independent media productions USA - 1997
Meskers Media Productions - Holland - 1997
Outback Adventures Productions – 1998

Printed media:
Dog’s Life Magazine - 1998
Aussie Post - 1998
RM Williams Outback magazine - 1998
RM Williams Outback magazine - 2000
Country Connection, Kendall Airlines - 1998-99
Landrover Discovery Magazine - 2000
“Expressions” Magazine, Sydney 2000
Sydney Morning Herald
Sun Herald
The Age, Melbourne
The Advertiser, Adelaide

Published Books
Blue Sky Blue Bush and Silver ' -- Blue Bush Press (publishers), 1993
Art of Broken Hill, Outback Australia -- 1999
Selected Contemporary Artists of Australia -- 2003
Contemporary artists of Australia Calendar -- 2008