Sydney, 1952

 CHARLES COOPER'S paintings are ambiguous in nature, graphic in impact and detonated in their surfaces.  There is a fine balance between what is seen and what is felt for the viewer.  In recent work for example, what appears to us at first as geometric compositions with modernist overtones turn out to be allusions to the specific, mundane places of an automobile society.

The signs and symbols we see most days as city dwellers are the material subject matter from which the work derives.  A familiarity already in place opens our eyes and encourages personal interpretation.  Cooper is asking us to view these symbols as metaphors for our own journeys.  He does not comment on our responses, but gives a platform from which to re-interpret and question what we see and how we perceive.

Born in Sydney in 1952, Charles Cooper has shown extensively within Australia and abroad over the last 30 years.  He has curated exhibitions and has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, as well as public and private commissions.  He also has work in many leading regional and university collections throughout Australia.

Selected group exhibitions

2016 Printed in Australia.  Spot 81 Gallery, Sydney

2015 Pedestrian. Rainer Hoff  Gallery National Art School, Sydney
          Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing. PLC Croydon,Sydney
         Shimmer and Pool. Annandale Galleries, Sydney

2014 Drawing as Thought. Grace Cossington-Smith Galley, Sydney
2013/14 Suburban Noir. Museum of Sydney
2012 Tilt. Study Centre for Drawing, National Art School, Sydney
          Abstrakt Bilder. Annandale Galleries
          Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing. PLC Croydon, Sydney      
2012 Highlights. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
2012 I don't know how a rock feels. British School at Rome, Italy Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing. Sydney
2012 Marnling Press and Whaling Road Studios. Maitland Regional Gallery, NSW
2011 William Dobell Prize for Drawing, Sydney
2010 CarriageART works (Marnling Press screenprints), Carriegeworks,, Sydney
2010 CarriageARTworks (Marnling Press). Carriageworks, Wattle, Rose and Thistle. Wollongong Regional Gallery
2009 Group Show Feat. Cooper, Dumbrell, Bartlett, Bass and Buzacott, Annandale Galleries
2008 Pairs, Opposites, Dualities. Mildura Arts Centre
2008 Group Show. Annandale Galleries
2007 In the Gap. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
Collector's choice. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
2006 Mungo Place Willandra Time. Mildura Art Centre
2005 Walking the Line. Cell Block Gallery, National Art School, Sydney
(Going) Out There. Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney
Desert Country. School of Art, Aust. National University, Canberra
Wet River Dry Lake. ANU site project, Wentworth
2004 Sulman Prize selection. Art Gallery NSW
Works on Paper. Robert Steele Gallery, NYC
The Visibility of Practice. Cell Block, National Art School, Sydney
2003 Significant Tilt. Macquarie University Gallery, Sydney
Double Vision. Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
Works on Paper. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
Destination Drawing. UNSWCOFA Exh. & Perf. Space, Sydney
2002 Selected Artists. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
Gallery Artists. Robert Steele Gallery, NYC
2001 The Geometry of the Earth. Orange Regional Gallery, NSW
Harmonic Visions. Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
2000 Fundamental Occurrences. Malca Fine Art, NYC
Monoprint. Malca Fine Art, NYC
Works on Paper at the Armory, Adam Baumgold Fine Art, NYC
1999 Silver. College of Fine Arts UNSW, Sydney
Works on Paper at the Armory, Adam Baumgold Fine Art, NYC
1998 Wynn Prize selection. Art Gallery NSW + regional tour NSW
1994/97 Faces of Hope (Amnesty International auction). Art Gallery NSW
1994 From Inside the Observatory. Wollongong + regional tour of NSW
1991 Microcosm. Garry Anderson Gallery, Sydney
9x5 One hundred years on. Artmet Gallery, Sydney
1987 Works For Shelves. Kettle's Yard, Cambridge UK
1986 Three Painters. Tynte Gallery, Adelaide
1985 Earth and Water. Bloomfield Galleries, Sydney
1984 The Final Chop. Butcher's Exhibit, Sydney
1983 Four Sydney Painters. Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
Sydney X Five. Solander Galleries, Canberra
1980 Five Young Painters. Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
Sulman Prize. Art Gallery NSW
1979 Young Painters. Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
1978 Sydney Harbour Exhibition. Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
Sulman Prize. Art Gallery NSW
1977 Contemporary Art Society Annual Exhibition. Sydney
1976 Grand Prix International d?Art Contemporain. Monaco
1975 Young Painters. Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1974 Blake Prize selection, Sydney

Solo exhibitions and public space projects
2013 Road Works. paintings, dioramas Annandale Galleries, Sydney
          Sea Change  paintings, Slot Gallery Sydney
2010 Peak Oil Paintings. Annandale Galleries
Rivers and Roads: Charles and Ashley Cooper. Hawkesbury Regional
Gallery and Orange Regional Gallery
Circling the Block. Slot, Sydney
2006 Crossroads: Paintings, sculptures. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
2004 Approaching the Block: paintings. Tin Sheds Gallery, School of Architecture,
University of Sydney
Genius Loci: banner design. City of Sydney's Open Gallery
2003 Traffic: paintings. Annandale Galleries, Sydney
1998 The Primary Park: design paving/ sculptures. Putney Park. Sydney
1996 Metamorphosis: fence mural, East Sydney
1994 Arrows of Time: multi- panel facade mural. Wollongong City Gallery
1995 Painting by Numbers. Foyer mural, Australian Multimedia Enterprise, Sydney
1988-90 Metaphysical Graffiti: paintings, drawings, prints, hologram. Regional
Gallery tour Victoria (Mildura, Hamilton, La Trobe University,
Warrnambool, Gippsland, Swan Hill, Benalla) and NSW (Albury, Orange,
Broken Hill)
1983 Worlds in Collision: paintings, drawings. Bloomfield Galleries, Sydney
1981 Topical Landscapes: paintings, drawings. Bloomfield Galleries, Sydney
and Murray Crescent Galleries, Canberra.
1979 Topical Burghers: paintings, drawings. Bloomfield Galleries. Sydney and
Murray Crescent Galleries, Canberra
1977 Group Portraits: paintings, drawings. Bloomfield Galleries, Sydney


SELECTED COMMENTARY

2016         Printed in Australia. Michelle Perry 10 Group Pty. Ltd.
2015         Pedestrian. Rainer Hoff  Gallery National Art School, Sydney
                 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing. PLC Croydon,Sydney
2014         Drawing as Thought. Grace Cossington-Smith Galley, Sydney
2013/14    Suburban Noir. Museum of Sydney
2013         Doyle, Peter. Suburban Noir catalogue note
                   Fisher, Laura. Road Works catalogue essay
                  Fairley, Gina Sea Change.catalogue note
2012        Benci, Jacopo. Catalogue introduction, British School at Rome March Exhibition
                 Tilt. Study Centre for Drawing, National Art School, Sydney
                  Abstrakt Bilder. Annandale Galleries
                   Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing. PLC Croydon, Sydney      
2011         Macdonald, John. Lines of Poetry, Sydney Morning Herald Dec 10-11
2010         Fisher, Laura, Cooper and Marawili, Artist Profile  #11
Fairley, Gina, Circling the Block , catalogue (Slot online)
Doyle, Peter, Rivers and Roads, catalogue essay, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
Trouton,  Lycia, The Road: Landscape and Allegory, catalogue essay, Hawkesbury  Reg. gallery
Flateau,, Andrew, An Exhibition to Road Test, Central Western Daily NSW October 16Christopher, Lissa, Open Gallery, Sydney Morning Herald  April 2-4
2008 Epp, Robert, Pairs, Opposites, Dualities,  catalogue essay, Mildura Regional.Gallery.
2006 Smee, Sebastian, Galleries expand horizons, TheAustralian May 15
2005 Harding, Lesley, The Wavering Path, Cell Block cat. essay
2004 Hill, Michael, Circulation, Pictorial Space, Time, Tin Sheds cat. essay
Harding, Lesley, The Visibility of Practice, cat. essay
2003 Pattenden, Rod, Significant Tilt, cat. essay
2001 Sisley, Alan, The Geometry of the Earth, cat. essay
2000 Johnson, Ken, New York Times June 30
1999 Kidd, Courtney, Art Monthly Australia July issue
Waterlow, Nick, Silver, cat. essay
1994 Walton, Paul, From Inside the Oberservatory, cat.essay
Fenner, Felicity, Sydney Morning Herald Feb 12
1988 Sisley, Alan, Metaphysical Grafitti, cat. essay
1986 Weston, David, Adelaide Advertiser July 31
1984 Short, Susanna, Sydney Morning Herald Dec 14
1983 Grishin, Sasha, Canberra Times June 4
1985 Macdonald, John, Sydney Morning Herald Dec 13
1981 Gilchrist, Maggie, Topical Landscapes, Sydney, cat. essay
Kaleski, Sonja, Canberra Times May 23
Exhibition commentary, Art and Australia Vol. 19 #1
1979 Borlaise, Nancy, Sydney Morning Herald Mar 24
Kaleski, Sonja, Canberra Times Aug 28
Exhibition commentary, Art and Australia Vol. 17 #3
1977 McIntyre, Arthur, The Australian Nov 12

Professional outline

2012 National Art School Residency in Drawing, British School at Rome
2008-16     Lecturer, (postgraduate studies/ drawing/painting) National Art School, Sydney
1998-2011 Lecturer, Painting, Drawing, Postgraduate Studies, National Art School
2007 Artist in Residence, Penrith Regional Gallery
2006 Artist in Residence, National Art School Studio, Cite des Arts, Paris
2005 Artist in Residence,Canberra School of Art ANU(Lake Mungo Field Studies)
1998-2008 P/T lecturer (drawing/painting), National Art School
1995-2007 P/T lecturer (drawing/painting), Univ. NSW College of Fine Arts
2000 P/T lecturer (painting), Parsons School of Design Cont. Education NYC
1999 National Art School Staff Traveling Scholarship (NYC)
1998 Awarded Trustee's Watercolour Prize, Art Gallery NSW
1996-97 P/T lecturer (drawing), Sydney College of the Arts Univ. Sydney
1996 Australia Council CEAD Grant
1994 Coordinator, first Amnesty International mask auction, Art GalleryNSW
1992-94 Curator, From Inside the Observatory, Wollongong City Gal.+ NSW tour
1993 P/T lecturer (drawing), School of Design University of Western Sydney
1991 Guest lectures: "Looking for Rock Paintings", School of Painting, Sheffield City Polytechnic and Dept. Painting, Loughborough College.of Art & Design,UK
1987-88 Holographer/art director, Ultra Art Pty Ltd, Sydney
1987 Master of Arts (Visual Arts), City Art Institute Sydney CAE
1986 Commonwealth Postgraduate Award, City Art Institute
1985 Graduate Diploma Professional Art Studies, City Art Institute, Sydney
1983 Curator, Sydney X Five, Solander Gallery, Canberra ACT
1978 Awarded Hunter's Hill Art Prize
1975-76 Resident Italy, France, UK
1972-73 Julian Ashton Art School, Sydney

Public collections

La Trobe University, Victoria
Wollongong City Gallery, NSW
Albury Regional Art Centre, NSW
Orange Regional Gallery, NSW
Mildura Art Centre, Victoria
Gippsland Arts Centre, Victoria
Swan Hill Regional Gallery, Victoria
Hamilton City Art Gallery, Victoria
Warrnambool Art Gallery, Victoria
St. John's College, University of Sydney
Australian Stock Exchange, Sydney
Commonwealth Artbank