Robert MacPherson

February 14, 1937

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Robert MacPherson has created an immense body of work while endeavoring to depict the intellectual and philosophical aspects of human concern. He incorporates imagery, many people are familiar with on a daily basis, such as paintbrushes, road signs, fruit stall stop shops, shovels, and blankets and more into his contemporary works, whether painted or sculptural. He addresses such issues as country, city and cultural life through a series of informal but confronting conversations that express the sight and sounds of the outback from Birdsville to Brisbane. Over a forty-year period, Robert MacPherson has presented in his artworks that he bridges the formal interests of Minimalism and the intellectual concerns of Conceptualism. He is renowned for appealing to a broad cross-section of the public, who are challenged both intellectually and culturally to consider the work they are viewing’s meaning as either being abstract, a form of poetry, or both. His works can mean many different things to people from all walks of life and background. This is dependent on how well informed they are about art, or not, the attitude they have to facing contemporary issues and if, when and how they react emotionally and physically to his visually compelling works. Robert MacPherson uniquely explores the nature of the relationship between a person and a work of art; especially those traveling the highways and byways of outback Queensland where roadside advertisements promote the sale of anything from roast chickens to avocados and fishing bait. The "Mayfair" series celebrates the everyday lives of a group of fishermen, or ‘swamp rats’ as they are affectionately known, who inhabit the marshy zone near the mouth of the Brisbane River. His text-based works consist of everyday ephemera, which he elevates above the commonplace and his unique gift for expression has gained him many followers. Robert MacPherson‘s grid-like patterns subliminally enter the conscious mind of the viewer through the use of wit, humor or an interest in the life of every man or woman as he asks people to consider and respect the evocative nature of the environment and how they can contribute to its beauty or ugliness. MacPherson has exhibited widely in Australia since the 1970s, including a major solo exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane in 2015 and at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney in 2001. His many group exhibitions include the Biennale of Sydney in 2010, 2000, 1998, 1990, and 1979; Sharjah Biennial 9 in 2009; and Culturgest Contemporary Art, Lisbon, in 2008. MacPherson is represented in numerous major state, regional and public collections in Australia, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; and National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

Robert MacPherson

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artist

Background

Robert MacPherson was born on February 14, 1937 in Brisbane, Australia.

Career

Robert MacPherson has created an immense body of work while endeavoring to depict the intellectual and philosophical aspects of human concern. He incorporates imagery, many people are familiar with on a daily basis, such as paintbrushes, road signs, fruit stall stop shops, shovels, and blankets and more into his contemporary works, whether painted or sculptural. He addresses such issues as country, city and cultural life through a series of informal but confronting conversations that express the sight and sounds of the outback from Birdsville to Brisbane.

Over a forty-year period, Robert MacPherson has presented in his artworks that he bridges the formal interests of Minimalism and the intellectual concerns of Conceptualism. He is renowned for appealing to a broad cross-section of the public, who are challenged both intellectually and culturally to consider the work they are viewing’s meaning as either being abstract, a form of poetry, or both. His works can mean many different things to people from all walks of life and background.

This is dependent on how well informed they are about art, or not, the attitude they have to facing contemporary issues and if, when and how they react emotionally and physically to his visually compelling works. Robert MacPherson uniquely explores the nature of the relationship between a person and a work of art; especially those traveling the highways and byways of outback Queensland where roadside advertisements promote the sale of anything from roast chickens to avocados and fishing bait. The "Mayfair" series celebrates the everyday lives of a group of fishermen, or ‘swamp rats’ as they are affectionately known, who inhabit the marshy zone near the mouth of the Brisbane River.

His text-based works consist of everyday ephemera, which he elevates above the commonplace and his unique gift for expression has gained him many followers. Robert MacPherson‘s grid-like patterns subliminally enter the conscious mind of the viewer through the use of wit, humor or an interest in the life of every man or woman as he asks people to consider and respect the evocative nature of the environment and how they can contribute to its beauty or ugliness.

MacPherson has exhibited widely in Australia since the 1970s, including a major solo exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane in 2015 and at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney in 2001. His many group exhibitions include the Biennale of Sydney in 2010, 2000, 1998, 1990, and 1979; Sharjah Biennial 9 in 2009; and Culturgest Contemporary Art, Lisbon, in 2008.

MacPherson is represented in numerous major state, regional and public collections in Australia, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; and National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

Achievements

Robert MacPherson is highly famous for his works "Scale from the Road", "Mayfair: BA-NA-NA-S - Four Paintings, Four Signs for G.B.", "Mayfair: Ah! Ahh! Ahhh! Avo's!!! 4.4 a $.", and "Mayfair: Summer farm, forty five signs for Micky Monsour."

Works

Untitled Broken Rectangle (5 Units) Untitled Broken Rectangle (5 Units)

Mayfair: Summer farm, forty five signs for Micky Monsour Mayfair: Summer farm, forty five signs for Micky Monsour

Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W. (detail) Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W. (detail)

Untitled Broken Rectangle (3 Units) Untitled Broken Rectangle (3 Units)

Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W. Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W.

Mayfair: A chook, a roll, and a pie Mayfair: A chook, a roll, and a pie

Mayfair: 18 Signs, 18 Paintings Green Lizard Double Sars and Maidens Blush for D.R.M. Mayfair: 18 Signs, 18 Paintings Green Lizard Double Sars and Maidens Blush for D.R.M.

Mayfair: BA-NA-NA-S - Four Paintings, Four Signs for G.B. Mayfair: BA-NA-NA-S - Four Paintings, Four Signs for G.B.

$Mayfair: Ah! Ahh! Ahhh! Avo\'s!!! 4.4 a $. Mayfair: Ah! Ahh! Ahhh! Avo\'s!!! 4.4 a $.$ Untitled Untitled

painting
- Untitled Broken Rectangle (5 Units)
- Mayfair: Summer farm, forty five signs for Micky Monsour
- Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W. (detail)
- Untitled Broken Rectangle (3 Units)
- Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W.
- Mayfair: A chook, a roll, and a pie
- Murranji
- Scale from the Road
- Mayfair: 18 Signs, 18 Paintings Green Lizard Double Sars and Maidens Blush for D.R.M.
- Mayfair: BA-NA-NA-S - Four Paintings, Four Signs for G.B.
- Mayfair: Ah! Ahh! Ahhh! Avo's!!! 4.4 a $.
- Untitled
- Mayfair: (Swamp rats) Ninety-seven signs for C.P., J.P., B.W., G.W. & R.W. (detail)

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

As one of Australia’s most important and resilient artists, MacPherson’s practice expands on the conceptual possibilities of the act of painting and revels in the multitude of languages, systems, and processes that art can make visible.

Main Photo