BLOOMFIELD GALLERIES RALPH BALSON Home | Contact Us Ralph Balson (1890-1964) became closely involved with modern art through Frank Hinder, Grace Crowley and Rah Fizelle. In 1920 at the age of 30 he began his career in art. These four artists were included in the historically important Exhibition held at David Jones Gallery in August 1939. This was the first group show in Sydney to propound Post-Impressionist modern principles. In July 1941 Balson held his first solo exhibition of abstract paintings in Sydney. This was not only a first for Balson, it was a milestone in Australian art history, being the first one-man show of non-objective paintings ever held in Australia. Ralph Balson died in 1964 and four years after his death Patrick McCaughey wrote: Ralph Balson is a classic story of the artist neglected in his lifetime and hailed as a master after his death ... Balson achieved what few other Australian painters have achieved: a great last period where all the themes and obsessions of an artist are brought together into a climatic unity ... nobody will ever doubt again that Balson is one of the masters of Australian paintings. Whereas Balson's earlier constructive paintings were akin to Mondrian (in 1955 he wrote: the greatest single influence has been Mondrian), his later work was more attuned to the New York School as represented by Jackson Pollock. He considered his poured paintings as 'matter paintings' and said: I try to find out what the substance of paint will give me, to make a Painting a Matter Painting. Please click on the thumbnails to view larger images. The painting and catalogue on this page are for sale from Bloomfield Galleries. To order, please click here. painting MATTER PAINTING Date Medium Size Signature Price 1961 Enamel on board 68.7 x 91.4 cm Signed and dated lower right $20,000 (framed) The frame is the original wood frame painted yellow by Ralph.   CATALOGUE RALPH BALSON AND JAMES CLIFFORD: PAINTINGS Date Author Illustrations Pages Page size Price June 1994 Geffrey Legge, Watters Gallery 22 (20 colour; 2 black and white) 24 (not inlcluding cover) 20.9 x 29.9 cm $33.00 This catalogue was produced for an exhibition of Ralph Balson and James Clifford's paintings which was held at Watters Gallery, Paddington and Savode, Brisbane.   CHRONOLOGY 1890 Born in Bothenhampton, Dorset, England on 12 August 1913 Migrated to Australia 1913-20 House painter to earn his living 1920 Began career in art, took night classes for several years at the Sydney Art School under Julian Ashton and Henry Gibbons 1922 Began career in art c.1930s Became closely involved with modern art through Frank Hinder, Grace Crowley and Rah Fizelle 1949-59 Taught abstract painting part-time at East Sydney Technical College 1956 Began painting full-time after retirement 1960 Travelled overseas to England, France and the United States 1961 Returned to Australia 1964 Died in Sydney on 27 August EXHIBITIONS 1927 Anthony Horden's Gallery, Sydney 1932 Modern Art Centre, Sydney 1939 Exhibition 1, David Jones Gallery, Sydney - historically important group show with Hinder, Crowley and Fizelle. This was the first group show in Sydney to propound Post-Impressionist modern principles. Also included in the show were sculptures by Eleanor Lange, Gerald Lewers and Margel Hinder plus one painting by Frank Medworth. 1941 Anthony Horden's Gallery, Sydney. This exhibition was a milestone in Australian art history, being the first one-man show of non-objective paintings ever held in Australia. 1944 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1948 Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand; David Jones Gallery, Sydney 1951 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1952 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1953 Arts Council of Great Britain, New Burlington Galleries, London; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 1957 David Jones Gallery, Sydney 1959-60 Californian Legion of Honour Museum, San Francisco; Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles 1960 One-man exhibition at Galerie Creuze's Salle Messine, Paris; Blaxland Gallery, Sydney 1961 Recent Australia Painting, Whitechapel Gallery, London 1962 David Jones Gallery, Sydney 1963 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney 1964 Transfield Prize Exhibition, David Jones Gallery, 1964 1966 Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Newcastle City Art Gallery, Newcastle 1972 New South Wales House, London; Bonython Galleries, Sydney 1979 Gallery A, Sydney 1980 Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane 1984 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne 1986 Painters Gallery, Sydney 1988 Australian Biennale 1988, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; The Great Australian Art Exhibition 1799-1988, all State Galleries; Bloomfield Galleries, Sydney 1989 Ralph Balson: A Retrospective - Heide Park and Art Gallery, Melbourne (travelling); Niagra Galleries, Melbourne 1994 Watters Gallery, Sydney (with James Clifford) REPRESENTED Art Gallery of New South Wales National Gallery of Australia Newcastle Regional Art Gallery Most state galleries SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Bruce, Ralph Balson: A Retrospective, Heide Park and Art Gallery, Melbourne, 1989. Art and Australia, Volume 2, No. 4, March 1965. Aspect, No. 22, October 1981. Dutton, Geoffrey, The Innovators, Macmillan, Sydney, 1986. Free, Renee, Crowley, Balson, Fizelle, Hinder, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1960. McCulloch, Alan, Encyclopedia of Australian Art, Hutchinson Australia, 1984. Smith, Bernard, Australian Painting 1788-1970, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1971.   © All images, text and website design are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Images, text and design may not be reproduced without the permission of the copyright owner/s. This page updated 19 September 2007. 2001-2007 Odana Editions Pty Ltd.