1924 - 2015

Faktaark

  • Nationality: Australia
  • Top-ranked work: The big plunge
  • Lifespan: 91 years
  • Top 3 works: The big plunge
  • Art period: Modern
  • Born: 1924, Hurstville, Australia

A Life of Resilience and Form

Robert Dickerson was a self-taught Australian figurative painter who rose from a life of significant hardship to become a highly recognized figure in the art world. Growing up in Sydney during the Depression era, his early years were marked by labor; at age fourteen, he worked in a factory and trained as a boxer, touring for four years with the Jimmy Sharman Boxing Troupe. His path to professional artistry was unconventional, involving periods of shoveling coal to support his family and living in a caravan. It was not until he was thirty-five that he turned professional, after winning a prize in a 1957 fridge decorating competition which allowed him to purchase more art materials.

His artistic style is characterized by an angular, high-contrast chiaroscuro technique, often executed in paint, pastels, charcoals, and other graphic media. Dickerson’s work frequently explores themes of loneliness, vulnerability, and isolation, often featuring lone characters with long noses and whimsical, averted eyes. His imagery was deeply rooted in the everyday life of streetscapes. In 1959, he became a member of the Antipodeans, a group of figurative artists who formed a statement in opposition to the abstractionism of the time.

Legacy and Recognition

Throughout his career, Dickerson’s work was exhibited in various locations, including London, and he eventually settled in Nowra, New South Wales. His dedication to the visual arts was recognized when he was awarded an AO for his outstanding contribution to the field and his community service. Beyond the canvas, he was a passionate breeder of race horses and served as the artist-in-residence at the Moonee Valley Racing Club for the 2001–02 season.

His notable works include:

Spørsmål og svar

Hvor kan jeg se Robert Dickerson sine kunstverk i kronologisk rekkefølge?

Se en tidslinje over Robert Dickerson sine verk på siden for Kronologisk oversikt over kunstverk, hvor kunstverkene er sortert etter produksjonsdato.

Kan jeg bla gjennom Robert Dickerson sine verk etter medium?

Robert Dickerson sine verk kan utforskes etter medium på Robert Dickerson sin Alle medier-side.

Hvordan utviklet kunsten til Robert Dickerson seg over tid?

Karriereløp til Robert Dickerson er en rullebar tidslinje som presenterer kunstnerens verk i kronologisk rekkefølge, gruppert i kapitler etter ulike perioder i karrieren.

Hvor finner man Robert Dickerson sine kunstverk kategorisert etter motiv?

Motivatlas for Robert Dickerson er en side som kartlegger kunstnerens verk etter motiv.

Selvtest

Det er kun ett riktig svar på hvert spørsmål.

Spørsmål 1:
In which year was Robert Dickerson born?
Spørsmål 2:
Which group of figurative artists did Dickerson join in 1959?
Spørsmål 3:
What was Dickerson's occupation when he was 14 years old?
Spørsmål 4:
What prize did he win in the 1957 Australian Women's Weekly fridge decorating competition?
Spørsmål 5:
In which Australian city was Robert Dickerson born?