1938

Born in Brisbane, Geoffrey was raised and educated in Sydney. Between 1957 and 1965 he attended classes at the Julian Ashton School, the North Sydney Technical College, and completed his studies under Wallace Thornton at the East Sydney Technical College.

In the late 1960s under the initial patronage of renowned English architect John Pawson, Geoffrey left Australia to travel abroad, spending the years between 1968 and 1973 teaching and exhibiting in England, France, and Canada. On his return to Australia, he continued to teach and exhibit widely as well as writing for the National Times, The Canberra Times and Art International. In 1985 he left the National Art School, East Sydney Technical College, where he had been lecturing in fine art, to paint full time.

In 1999 and 2009 the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery mounted exhibitions of recent works by the artist. In 2000 Geoffrey was the recipient of The Hesketh and New England Regional Art Museum Overseas Fellowship award. Later, in 2003, the New England Regional Art Museum mounted an exhibition of paintings by the artist held in their permanent collection.

De Groen's work is represented in numerous institutional collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Victoria, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. In 2001 Signs of Time One Painting in One Hundred Parts by Geoffrey De Groen, a monograph on the artist's work was published.

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(Born Brisbane, Queensland, December 10, 1938)

Lived continuously in Sydney until September 1968.

STUDIES & TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

1957-68 Julian Ashton School, North Sydney Tech 

1968-73 Painted & taught in UK, France, Canada

1973-85 Painted & taught in Sydney & Canberra

1973-80 Arts writer for The National Times, 
The Canberra Times, Arts International

1977-78 Traveled in Japan, USA, France

1985 Quit teaching to paint full-time

1992 Moved to Taralga, NSW

GRANTS & COMMISSIONS

1969 Artist in Residence, Power Studio, Paris

1975 Mural commission, NCDC, Canberra

1975-77 Australia Council Grant, Australia-Japan Foundation Grant

1978-84 Conversations with Australian Artists, commissioned by Quartet Books

2000 The Hesketh & New England Regional Art Museum Overseas Fellowship

FURTHER TEACHING POSITIONS

U.K 1968-70:

Lecturer and teacher in Fine Art at:

Birmingham College of Art

Exeter College of Art

Harlow Technical College

Leeds College of Art
Maidstone College of Art

Newcastle College of Art

Winchester College of Art


Visiting Lecturer at:

Brighton College of Art

Edinburgh College of Art

Eton College, Windsor

Harrow School of Art

Leicester College of Art

Nottingham College of Art

Oxford College of Art

Ravensbourne College of Art

The Greater London Council

Whitney College of Art

Canada:

Instructor in Fine Art and Basic Design, 1970-72 at Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology, London, Ontario.

Australia:

Teacher/ lecturer in Fine Art, Canberra School of Art, 1973-77.

Teacher, Fine Art, Kogarah College of TAFE, 1978.

Teacher, Fine Art, Gymea College of TAFE, 1979-80.

Teacher/ lecturer Fine Art, National Art School, East Sydney Technical College, 1981-85

**Portrait by Tony Sheffield