DALLWITZ, JOHN (1941-)

"Fern Gorge" (1965) 
oil on board
45 x 45.5cm
signed on verso
*exhibited at Bonython Gallery, 1965
*private collection, Sydney
 
Dallwitz is a respected, pioneering Australian Abstract Expressionist. He studied at the University of Adelaide & South Australian School Of Art. .For a brief moment in 1960s Adelaide, father-son duo David and John Dallwitz were at the forefront of a bold, jazz-fuelled local abstract movement. John's fascination with more modern forms that led the pair to explore, side-by-side, a short but vibrant chapter in contemporary South Australian art..John had my first exhibition at the age of 20 at Bonython Art Gallery, which was a landscape exhibition. Then in 1965, inspired by the new and exciting Hard Edge Movement, his second exhibition was purely abstract. This exhibition was one of the first utilising the Hard Edge style in Australia, and predated the seminal 'The Field' Exhibition at the NGV in 1968 (strangely without either Dallwitz)..Dallwitz exhibited widely throughout Australia, supplemented by his work as an influential art teacher. His paintings are represented in most National Galleries in Australia, and he and his father David and mother Anna (fashion designer) were the subject of the large, acclaimed "Adelaide Cool" Exhibition at the Art Gallery Of South Australia in 2019.