Geoffrey Wake - Artist - Paintings

Perth Artist Geoffrey Wake has resided in the busy port town of Fremantle Western Australia since 1996. It is here that his work changed direction and his paintings incorporated the energy and geometry contained in the urban landscape. Geoffrey has been a well respected arts educator and since 1999 has painted full time for exhibitions and commissions. Geoffrey has held many solo and group exhibitions in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, China and Italy. His work is in numerous collections including, University of WA, Skinner Collection, Art Gallery WA, Curtin University and many private collections.

Geoffrey Wake - Artist Biography

• Roleystone 1980 - 1995
  • After painting through the eighties and nineties somewhat in awe of aerial landscape, I moved to Fremantle, an urban environment with its grids and intersecting energies.
• Fremantle 1996 - 2007
  • The work of this period contains the full vocabulary of the urban landscape period but is deconstructed into a grid format. It contains some geometry of the city with something of the landscape combined.
  • I particularly like to express the way energy is always colliding and controlled in the urban settings, so these paintings came about through combining the elements of text and grid.
  • The text being an important part of the urban setting is partially incorporated but as a pattern and mystery when one first views the work.
  • For the past year my theme has been "Mi Amigo" as expression of AFFINITY with the subject in the painting ... these letters are used exclusively in the works.

Working Progress

• With the three major elements in mind, I like to take the journey of the work with no destination in mind allowing deconstruction (the cut outs) to change into a building process.
• Something not thought of is the goal. One arrives at the destination anew.

The Titles

• Express natural forces from the clouds, rain, to streams etc which are evoked in the works and I like to use other language to express the poetic aspects of the work.

Solo Exhibitions

• 1969   Rhode Gallery, Perth
• 1971    Skinner Gallery, Perth
• 1973    Skinner Gallery, Perth
• 1975    Skinner Gallery, Perth
• 1977    Gallery 350, Perth
• 1978    Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle
• 1981    Review Show, Fremantle
• 1985   Quentin Gallery, Perth
• 1988   Greenhill Gallery, Perth
• 1990   Editions Southbank Gallery, Melbourne
• 1990   Greenhill Gallery, Perth
• 2013   PSAS Fremantle Titled “Flight” Perth Fringe Festival
• 2017   Gallows Gallery, Perth

Shared Exhibitions

• 1996    Extending the Envelope, Moores Building, Fremantle
• 1997    Rites of Passage, Moores Building, Fremantle
• 2001    Gateways, Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2002    Earthways and Waterways, Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2003    New Paintings, Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2004    Neo Revelations, Gadfly Gallery, Perth
• 2006    4 Painters, Elements Gallery, Perth
• 2006    4 Painters, Mahoneys Gallery, Melbourne
• 2007-09  4 Painters, Elements Gallery, Perth
• 2011    Beasts and Beauties, Elements Gallery, Perth
• 2014    DARK LIGHT, Neon Installation , PSAS, Fremantle
• 2018    Landscape Yet Not Landscape,  JahRoc Galleries

Group Exhibitions

• 1970
  • Invitation Exhibition West Australian Institute of Technology, Perth
• 1973
  • Invited to exhibit at Sir William Angliss Art Award, Melbourne
• 1974
  • West Australian Artists Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
• 1980
  • Five West Australians, UWA, Perth
• 1981
  • Group Show Barry Stern, Sydney
• 1983
  • Group Show Holdsworthy, Sydney
  • The WAIT Collection Art Gallery of WA Perth
  • Landscapes in Watercolour, Fremantle
  • Invitation Wesley Watercolour Show, Perth
  • China Exhibition, Perth and China
• 1988
  • Matilda Bay Exhibition, Perth
  • Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Exhibition, Perth
  • Editions Galleries, Melbourne
  • Matilda Bay Show, Perth
• 1988-89
  • Guide Dogs for the Blind Exhibition, Perth
• 1989
  • Matilda Bay Show, Perth
  • Newworks Greenhill, Perth
  • Mandorla Art Prize, Perth
  • ACAF 2 Art Fair, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Spheres of Influence(Claremont School of Art), Perth
  • Inaugural Exhibition of Works at Allegretta Studios, Fremantle
  • Anniversary Exhibition Gallery of Fine Art, Perth
• 1995
  • "The Docks Invitation Art Award"
  • Fremantle Festival 10-26 November 1995 Invited to participate Fremantle
• 1995
  • The Stein Collection Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
  • A work included in the Stein Collection; A gift to the University of Western Australia, Perth
  • Group Show called "Five Art" Fremantle Festival 10-19 Nov 1995 Allegretta Artists' Studios, Fremantle
• 1996
  • Invited to exhibit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth
• 2000
  • Finalist in Mandorla Religious Prize Fremantle
• 2001
  • A Taste of West Australian Art Calabria Italy (One of ten artists selected to exhibit in Italy).
• 2005
  • Affordable Art Show, Melbourne
• 2006
  • Melb Art fair 06 (April), Melbourne
• 2006
  • ARTITUDE, Perth
• 2007
  • Mandorla exhibition, Perth
• 2007
  • Kalgoolie Regional Art Gallery, Kalgoorlie
  • Mixed Show (Elements Gallery)
• 2008
  • Gadfly Gallery , Perth
• 2010
  • Gadfly Gallery , Perth
• 2011
  • Mandorla (Finalist), Fremantle
•  2011
  • Tom Collins  Bequest, UWA
• 2013
  • Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury
• 2013
  • Homeless Auction, Fremantle
• 2013
  • Auction , Artists for Kids Culture, Melbourne
• 2014
  • Homeless Auction, Fremantle
• 2015
  •  Mandjar Art Show, Mandurah
• 2016
  • Mandjar Art Show, Mandurah
• 2018
  • Landscape Yet Not Landscape, JahRoc Galleries, Margaret River

Awards

• 1973-74   Power Bequest Studio occupation at the Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris
• 1974    Australian Arts Council Grant
• 1980    Canning Art Prize (painting)
• 1981    Katanning Drawing Prize
• 1987    Highly recommended, Katanning Art Prize
• 2007    Winner Mandjar Corporate Art Award (painting)
• 2007    Winner Category 9 Cossack Art Award (abstract painting)

Collections

• Bayswater Shire Collection
• Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre
• Art Gallery of WA
• Curtin University
• City of Fremantle
• University of WA
• Skinner Collection
• Carnegie Collection
• Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
• Education Department
• La Salle College
• Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
• Many private collections

Biographical Details

• 1944     Born Perth
• 1957-60      Scotch College
• 1960-65      Perth Technical College
• 1965     Diploma in Painting
• 1968     Part-time Tutor, Claremont Tech (Drawing and Painting)
• 1971     Painted on "Thevenard Island" off Onslow in WA
• 1966-74    Part-time Tutor, Perth Tech (Painting and Drawing)
• 1976-86    Part-time Tutor, Fremantle Arts Centre (Painting and Drawing)
• 1978-88    Part-time Tutor, Forrestfield Tech College (Taught painting to level 120 studio level and drawing to level 100)
• 1980     Painted in Maningrida, Northern Territory
• 1980-85    Ran "Travel Art" (Art tours around WA and overseas)
• 1991     Part-time Tutor, Midland TAFE (Taught painting to levels 200-240)
• 1992-93    Tutor, Roleystone Family Centre
• 1994     Tutor, Armadale Family Centre (Drawing)
• 1994     Tutor, Armadale TAFE (Drawing)
• 1994     Tutor, Midland TAFE (Painting - levels 100, 120 and 240)
• Feb/Mar 1995     Painting in Bali
• 1996     Part-time Tutor, Midland TAFE (Taught painting 240 and 360)
• 1996     Tutor, Midland TAFE (Painting and drawing - levels 100-380)
• 1997-98    Tutor, Midland TAFE (Painting and drawing - levels 100-390)
• 1999-2002     Painting full time for exhibition and commissions
• 2002-2006     Painting full time for exhibitions and commissions
• 2007     Painting full time

Major Works for Corporation

• Sheraton Hotel, Perth
• BHP, Perth
• Jetset, Perth
• Barclays Bank, Perth
• Joseph Charles Learmonth Duffy, Perth
• Kalimantan Gold, Perth
• Larchill , Perth
• National Bank, Perth
• Sunmark Corp, Perth
• SECWA, Perth
• Qantas, Perth
• Robinson Cox, Perth
• Education Dept of WA, Perth
• "The Vines" Japanese Resort, Perth
• "Omegatrend", Perth
• AIDC, Perth
• ANZOIL NL, Perth
• ANZ McCaughan, Melbourne
• Robert Hodges Pty Ltd, Melbourne
• Alexander Metherall Pty Ltd, Melbourne
• Multiplex Pty Ltd, Melbourne
• Coles Myer, New South Wales
• Araluen Country Club , Western Australia
• Murdoch University, Western Australia
• 1996 Duxton Hotel, Western Australia
• 1997 Woodside Offshore Petroleum, Perth
• 1998 The ABS Group, Perth
• 1999 Ministry of Health, Perth