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Guy Warren
and experimentation at 100
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TOP: Princess 1958 MIDDLE: Bathers in a Red Jungle (3) 1958 BOTTOM: The Dust of Memory 18 TVO
uy Warren is an artist that needs no introduction. A long-time resident of Greenwich, he is at once a local and national art treasure. He was also one of the early trustees of Centrehouse before the association’s incorporation, the very organisation that manages Gallery Lane Cove. With a remarkable artistic career that spans some eight decades, he has garnered awards ranging from the AGNSW Trustees’ Watercolour Award (Wynne Prize Exhibition), the Archibald Prize and the 4th International Triennale of Drawing in Poland in 1988. In fact, his contribution to art was acknowledged by a Medal of the Order of Australia OAM (1999) and an Australia Medal AM (2013). Having works held in public art collections across Australia is testament to his standing, not to mention international representation in prominent public and corporate collections. No less than six survey exhibitions of Guy’s works were previously presented in NSW and Queensland public institutions. This upcoming seventh is curated to celebrate his artistic excellence and dedication to art, which is amazing in and of itself, but more so considering the volume and quality of work he is still creating at almost 100 years of age. His energy and focus certainly eclipses some younger artists by miles, as with his appetite for experimentation. Of Man and Nature: The Diverse Journey of Guy Warren is designed to mark his centenary turn in April and serves as an inspiration to all. In terms of framework, the survey exhibition revisits his creative arc as a painter, from the early days in the 40s through to his hyper-productive period of 2020-early 2021. Thematically, it foregrounds his persistent pursuit of experimentation, evident from his expansive style, which sets him apart from his peers. Indeed, a spirit of adventure underscores his life and work, eschewing conformity and artworld trends. The content and elements of his paintings are drawn from a vast repository of memories fuelled by his countless life adventures in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia as well as other travels. Despite resistance to stylistic, process and image repetition, one subject remains an abiding concern throughout, that is, his fascination with the landscape and specifically, nature’s complexity and man’s synergistic relationship to it.
