Geoffrey Proud

Artist's Biography

Geoffrey Proud was born in Adelaide in 1946 and is known as a painter, sculptor and print-maker. He has received no formal art training. Proud held his first exhibition at Watters Gallery in Sydney in 1967 and by 1978 his work had become well known in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.

Many of his early Pop-style surrealist images were painted on the reverse side of perspex.  His later, large paintings on canvas are more conventional.  Geoffrey Proud has produced a number of cover illustrations for books, including: Shirley Hazzard’s “Transit of Venus”. He also paints large, delicate and somewhat esoteric compositions with nudes. The translucence of his wash often adds an ephemeral, even sweet, air to his message.

During his career, Geoffrey has held numerous exhibitions including 39 one-man shows and numerous group exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Wollongong. His solo shows include: Watters Gallery, Sydney 1966, 1967, 1974, 1976 and 1977; Tolarno Galleries in Melbourne 1967; Old Fire Station Gallery in Perth 1968; Bolton Galleries in Adelaide 1968; Clune Gallery in Sydney 1970; Abraxas Gallery in Canberra 1975 & 1977; Billilla Gallery in Melbourne 1977; Robin Gibson in Sydney 1985, 1987, 1988 & 1989; BMG in Adelaide, 1987; Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne 1989.

Geoffrey’s group shows include: John McCaughey Memorial Prize at the National Gallery of Victoria 1975; The Road Show at Shepparton Art Gallery 1976; La Trobe Valley Art Centre 1976; Australian Realist Painters, Art Gallery of South Australia 1977; Darnell de Gruchy Invitation Exhibition at the University of Queensland 1977; Watters at Pinacotheca Exhibition, Pinacotheca Gallery in Melbourne 1978; Robin Gibson Gallery in Sydney 1980.

Proud has been awarded several art prizes, including: Archibald Prize in 1990; the Sulman Prize 1976, Sydney Georges Art Prize, Melbourne 1976 (acquisition); John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize 1975; La Trobe Valley Purchase Prize 1976; Coffs Harbour Art Purchase Prize 1977, George Crouch Golden Jubilee Invitation 1977, Ballarat; Darnell de Gruchy Purchase, Qld 1977; Gosford Art Prize in 1994.

Geoffrey Proud has art work represented at: the Australian National Gallery; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Artbank Collection; Horsham Art Gallery in Victoria; Armidale City Art Gallery in Armidale, NSW; La Trobe Valley Art Centre in Victoria; Newcastle Region Art Gallery; NSW State Parliament Offices; Visual Art Board, Australia Council; Parliament House Offices in Canberra; the Darling Harbour Authority in Sydney; NSW Bar Association, Sydney; Royal Sydney Golf Club, Sydney; NRMA Collection, Sydney; Westmead Hospital, Sydney; Allen Allen & Hemsley, New York; IBM Collections in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra; Elton John Collection, London; Hyatt Regency, Coolum, Qld; Sly & Weigall, Sydney; Freehill, Hollingdale & Page; Melbourne; Vigilant Insurance, Sydney; Jones Lang & Wootton, Sydney; Arthur Anderson & Co., Sydney, the University of New England; Sydney Convention Centre, the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Geoffrey Proud passed away in 2022.

Bibliography: “Australian Watercolour Painters 1780-1980”, Jean Campbell, Rigby Publishers, Adelaide, 1983; “The Encyclopedia of Australian Art”, Alan & Susan McCulloch, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1994; “Artists and Galleries of Australia”, Max Germaine, Craftsman House, Sydney, 1990.