Rodney Forbes
Artist’s Statement
Born 1951, Melbourne, Australia
1997-99 Master of Arts, Fine Art (by research), Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne
1980-82 Diploma Arts (Visual Arts), Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education, Gippsland, VIC
1983 Graduate Diploma (Visual Arts), Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education, Gippsland, VIC
1995- 2008 Lecturer in Visual Arts, Gippsland Centre for Art and Design, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne
2007-2008 Acting Head, Gippsland Centre for Art and Design, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne
2008-2010 Director, Gippsland Centre for Art and Design, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, MelbourneBiography
Rodney Forbes is is fascinated by how people tell stories. His vibrant paintings address deeply poignant subject matter through dreamlike and surreal imagery. Figures and objects float against his trademark palette of bright, luminous colours, drawing the viewer in to explore a rich narrative. Drawing on both autobiographical and historical events, Forbes has the masterful ability to portray sometimes dark and challenging subject matter through vibrant, cartoon-like imagery, resulting in deeply engaging works that invite extended contemplation.
Awards
2017 Maritime Art Awards (finalist), Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne Gippsland Print Award (finalist), Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale
2006 Monash Research Grant, Melbourne
2005 Monash Research Grant, Melbourne
2002 Monash Research Grant, Melbourne
2001 Monash Research Grant, Melbourne
1991 Latrobe Regional Arts Board, Travel Grant, Morwell, VIC
1990 Latrobe Regional Arts Board, Travel Grant, Morwell, VIC
Australia Council Visual Arts and Crafts Board, Artist’s Development GrantExhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 ‘CHOICE LANGUAGE’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2017
‘THE SEA, THE SEA’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
‘Art from Down Under: Paintings by Rodney Forbes’, Glenn Green Galleries, Santa Fe, USA
2015
‘The Lost White Woman of Gippsland’, Arc Yinnar, Yinnar, VIC
‘The Lost White Woman of Gippsland’, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, VIC
2014
‘Lohan-Tuka: The Lost White Woman of Gippsland’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne
2012
‘No coyotes no roadrunners’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne
2011
‘Kids Cube: Rodney Forbes, ‘Tellers and Listeners’, Gippsland Gallery, Sale, VIC
2010
‘Breathe’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne
2008
‘Slow Painting’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne
2007
‘Dumb tidings’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Sydney
2006
‘Rodney Forbes: 1995 – 2005’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC
‘Two rivers’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne
2004
‘When you’re a boy’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2002
‘Rocket Science, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2001
‘More songs about dancing and horses’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2000
Masters Research Exhibition, Faculty Gallery, Faculty of Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne
1998
‘Like Ice, Like Fire’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1995
‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1994
‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
‘Rodney Forbes; Paintings 1983-1993’, Survey exhibition, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC; touring to Mornington, VIC; Mildura, VIC and Wangaratta, VIC
1992 ‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1991 ‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1989 ‘Paintings and Drawings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1987 ‘Out of the Bay and Into the Valley’, Latrobe Valley Arts Centre, Morwell, VIC
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
19 October 2019
‘Rodney Forbes; Paintings 1983-1993’, Survey exhibition, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC; touring to Mornington, VIC; Mildura, VIC and Wangaratta, VIC
1992 ‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1991 ‘Recent paintings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1989 ‘Paintings and Drawings’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1987 ‘Out of the Bay and Into the Valley’, Latrobe Valley Arts Centre, Morwell, VIC
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 ‘Australian Galleries: The Purves Family Business. The First Four Decades’, Book Launch and Group Exhibition, Australian Galleries, Melbourne ‘Annual ANL Maritime Art Awards & Exhibition’, Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne ‘papermade’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2018 ‘Eventide’, New England Regional Art Museum, Sydney ‘Mapping Home: Collecting Truths’, Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of Colorado, Colorado, USA
2017 Maritime Art Awards, Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne Gippsland Print Award, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale ‘REFRACTION: Gippsland Centre for Art and Design Alumni’, Switchback Gallery, Federation University, Ballarat, VIC
2016 Maritime Art Awards Finalists, Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne
‘SPEED’, Murray Art Museum, Albury, NSW ‘Imagined Place Map’, Burris Hall Gallery, part of the "Print, Printed, Printing" Bi- Annual Symposium, Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA ‘Eventide – Print Exchange’, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
2014 ‘Beloved Beastie’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC ‘one of each’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne ‘The Sound of Shadows’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Victoria ‘SCOPE: Federation University Art Academy Artists’, Post Office Gallery, Ballarat, Victoria ‘Animal mothers within’, King Family Exhibition Space, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
2013 ‘A Tree for All’, Cowwarr Art Space, Cowwarr, Victoria ‘Australian Modernism’, Gippsland Gallery, Sale, Victoria ‘Semblance’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Victoria ‘Something for Kate’, Gecko Gallery, Fish Creek, Victoria ‘Electric Valley Studios 2’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Gippsland, Victoria ‘Laugh Out Loud’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Victoria ‘Corporeality’, Geelong Gallery, Geelong, Victoria
‘Exchanging Story through the printed Surface’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Gippsland, Victoria
‘Exchanging Story through the printed Surface’, King Family Exhibition Space, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA, ‘Works from the Stock Rooms’, Australian Galleries, Smith Street, Melbourne
2012-13 ‘Summer Stock Show’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne
2012 ‘Freak of Nature’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Gippsland, Victoria
2011 ‘large exhibition of small works’, Australian Galleries, Roylston Street, Sydney ‘large exhibition of small works’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne ‘Kid’s cube: Rodney Forbes, Tellers and Listeners’, Gippsland Gallery, Sale ‘On your mark, get set, go!’, Albury Art Gallery, Albury, NSW ‘Freak of nature’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University and King Family exhibition space, Colorado University, Boulder, USA
‘Nether Regions’, curated by Rona Green, St Helier’s Galley, The Convent, Melbourne
2010 ‘Artists’ Prints made with Integrity I’, Australian Galleries, Smith Street, Melbourne ‘Once upon a picture’, Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Sydney ‘Prints from Gippsland’, Arc Yinnar Gallery, Gippsland, VIC
’52 Print exchange’, curated by Rona Green, Geelong Gallery, Geelong, VIC
2009-10 ‘Summer Stock Show’, Australian Galleries, Derby Street, Melbourne
2009 ‘Dancing made a man out of me ii’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC ‘The Body’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
2008 ‘Magistery’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Faculty Gallery, Monash University, Caulfield, VIC
2007 ‘Electric Valley Studios’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Melbourne ‘Summer Stock Show’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne ‘Small Pleasures’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne ‘Stock Show’ Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne
2006 ‘Round and Round and Round and Round’, Albury Art Gallery, Albury, NSW ‘Stock Show’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne ‘50th Anniversary Exhibition’, 5th June, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2005 Jacques Cadry Memorial Art Prize (finalist), Fox Studios and State Library of New South Wales, Sydney
2004 ‘24 hour love presented by Clubs in the Pines’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
‘The FOUND Project’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC ‘Group exhibition’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2003 ‘Energy to burn’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC
2002 ‘Jon Campbell’s Rock the Boat’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
2001 ‘Ecstasy and the pleasure of collecting’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
2000 Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Australian Galleries stand, Melbourne ‘Dancing Made a Man Out of Me’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
1999 ‘Art at the Centre’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
1998 ‘Fine Paintings and Sculpture’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne ‘Art at the Centre’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
1997 ‘Rodney Forbes, William Young, Rodney Scherer and Clive Murray-White at Cowwarr Art Space’, Cowwarr Art Space, Cowwarr, VIC, ‘Revealing Art’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC, ‘Images of Energy’, Cowwarr Art Space, Cowwarr, VIC ‘Figurative Forces’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC
1996 ‘The Incident’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC
1995 ‘Comedie Humaine’, Australian Galleries, Sydney
1994 ‘A4 Art’, Westspace, Melbourne
1993 ‘On the Other Hand’, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
1991 ‘Indo-Eco’, touring exhibition: Latrobe Valley Arts Centre, Morwell, VIC; Linden Gallery, Melbourne
1990 ‘Contemporary Gippsland Artists’, touring exhibition: Latrobe Valley Arts Centre, Morwell, VIC; touring to Shepparton, VIC; Wagga Wagga, NSW; Mildura, VIC; Gold Coast, QLD; Townsville, QLD; Lismore, NSW; Broken Hill, NSW; Mt. Gambier, SA; University of South Australia Art Museum, SA; Monash University Gallery, VIC
1989 ‘Art and Work’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, VIC
1988 ‘100 x100 Portfolio’, Print Council of Australia Bicentennial touring exhibition, Australia
1986 ‘Six Artists’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne ‘Lost Memories and Empty Glasses: John Campbell, Rodney Forbes, Stewart MacFarlane’, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Churchill, VIC
1985 ‘Seven Artists’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1984 ‘Regional Artists-1, Gippsland’, Victorian Ministry for the Arts, Melbourne
Showing all 2 artworks
Rodney Forbes
Winner overall 2020 - A Submariner dreams of Home
Framed: 33.5 x 49.8 cm Oil on Canvas $3,000.00