Gregory Alexander
SOLO EXHIBITION
This collection of works is about trees in my neighborhood that resonate with me They are trees that I have observed and drawn and painted many times over years. All the works were painted directly in front of the subject using watercolour and gouache on tinted papers. This particular medium allows for a very direct response to the subject, and working en plein air allows me to, not only study the subject and the effects of light and weather, but also helps facilitate a deeper connectedness with the place – a meditation through the act of painting, which is inculcated in the painting creating an embodied presence.
Gregory Alexander was born in England and had a significant exhibiting career before arriving in Australia in 1993: At the Age of 24 he became one of the youngest associate members of the prestigious Royal Watercolour Society (RWS) in recent history – examples of his work are reproduced in several books about the RWS. He studied for his Master of Fine Art at Monash University where he taught drawing and painting for many years.
Gregory has exhibited widely in England as well as Australia - notably at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions; the New English Art Club, The Royal Society of British Artists, and has been a winner and a finalist in many prestigious art prizes, for example he won the Alice Bayle Prize for Drawing in 2012, and was a finalist in the Paul Guest Drawing prize in 2022. He has travelled and painted extensively in Europe, India and Kenya. His paintings have been used to illustrate, amongst other books; Tales from the African Plains, and Kipling’s, The Jungle Book. His work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, The Royal Watercolour Society Diploma Collection, Bayside City Council and Heritage Collection, as well as many other public, corporate and private collections throughout the world.
Gregory Alexander CV
Academic Qualifications
2010 MFA (by research) Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
1981 BA (Hons) Painting, West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham, Surrey, England.
Solo Exhibitions (Selected)
2016 Dusk, The Gallery @ Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre Brighton, Melbourne, Australia.
2015 Painting Place, Without Pier Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.
2010 Watercolours, Monash Art Design and Architecture (MADA), Post Graduate Gallery, Caulfield Campus, Victoria, Australia.
2004 Watercolour Paintings, Etchings and Relief Prints: Joshua McClelland Print Room, Melbourne, Australia.
2002 Postcards, Oils and Watercolours: The Catto Gallery, London, UK.
2000 Forty Paintings/ Forty years: The Catto Gallery, London (catalogue)
1996 Journeys in Watercolour: Books Illustrated, Gas works Park, Melbourne
1995 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.
1994 Tales from the African Plains: The Catto Gallery, London (coincide with Book publication)
1991 The Jungle Book: The Catto Gallery, London. (coincide with Book publication)
Group exhibitions (Selected)
2022 Finalist, Paul Guest Drawing Prize, Bendigo Gallery
Local, Bayside Gallery, Brighton, Victoria
2021 Local, Bayside Gallery, Brighton, Victoria
2020 Journeys and Discoveries, Bayside Gallery Brighton, Victoria
2019 Finalist, Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize, Monsalvat, Eltham. Melbourne.
2019 Locale, Bayside Gallery Brighton, Victoria
2018 Finalist, AME Bale Art Prize for works in the medium of Oils and/or Acrylics, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Caulfield, Victoria.
Finalist, AME Bale Art Prize for works and on Paper, Glen Eira City Council
2017 Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize, Queensland Australia.
2016 Finalist, Mandorla Prize for Art, Perth WA Australia
2015 Finalist, Gallipolli Art Prize, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney.
2014 Finalist, AME Bale Art Prize for works in the medium of Oils and/or Acrylics.
Finalist, AME Bale Art Prize for works and on Paper,
2014 Local, by invitation survey exhibition, City of Glen Eira Council Gallery,
2014 Finalist, Swan Hill Print and Drawing Prize, Swan Hill Regional Gallery
2014 Finalist, Adelaide Perry prize for Drawing, Sydney.
2013 Finalist, Len Fox Painting Prize, Castelmaine Art Gallery and Museum.
2013 Finalist, Fleurieu Prize: South Australia.
2013 I00 Years of Watercolour, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Caulfield, Victoria.
2012 Winner, A.M.E. Bale Art Prize for Works on Paper,
2012 Finalist, Rick Amor Drawing Prize: Ballarat Art Gallery, Ballarat, Victoria.
2010 Finalist, The Alice Prize: Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT.
2008 ‘30 x 30 x 30’ Faculty Gallery, Monash Art Design and Architecture (MADA,
Monash University, Caulfield, Victoria.
2007 Transcription Symposium, by invitation exhibition of drawings, Monash Art Design and Architecture (MADA). Monash University, Caulfield.
2007 Finalist, Castlemaine Drawing Prize, Castelmaine Art Gallery and Museum.
2007 Australian Prints, Joshua McClelland Print Room, Melbourne, Australia.
2006 Finalist, Art on the Rocks, Sydney Harbourside Authority, competition and exhibition, Sydney
2006 Joshua McClelland Print Room, selected exhibition at Sofitel, Collins Street, Melbourne.
2004 Finalist, Swan Hill Print and Drawing Acquisitive Awards, Swan Hill Regional Gallery, Victoria.
2004 Then and Now - Bicentenary exhibition of RWS, Bankside Gallery, London. (Accompanying book).
2001 Line work in Progress, Two-man exhibition, Chapel off Chapel, Prahran, Melbourne
2000 Word Journeys (Artist in Residence, Boroondara Writers Festival) Town hall Gallery, Hawthorn, Victoria.
1998 Finalist, Fleurieu Biennale, South Australia.
1997 Finalist, The Hutchings Art Prize, Tasmania, Australia.
1995 Finalist, 12 Biennale Spring Festival of Drawing, MPRG, Australia.
1993 Royal Academy Summer Show, Piccadilly, London, UK.
1992 The European Tour: Organized by Catto Gallery London, UK.
1991 The 20th Century British Art Fair, Royal College of Art, London, UK.
1990 Visions of Venice, Bankside Gallery, London, UK.
1989 Peoples and Places, Touring exhibition organized by Kent County Libraries.
1988 Kew – The British Garden, Christies Contemporary Art (CCA) London, UK.
1987 World of Watercolours, Park Lane Hotel, London, UK.
1987 Finalist, Athena Art Awards, Barbican Centre, London, UK.
Collections:
National Gallery Australia, Canberra (NGA);
Bayside City Council Art and Heritage Collection, Melbourne.
Australian Print workshop, Melbourne (APW);
ANZ Bank, Melbourne;
Unilever, London;
Pace Petroleum, London.
Paintings included in books presented to HRH the Queen and HRH The Queen Mother on the occasions of their 70th and 100th birthdays.
Private collections in Australia, England and Europe.
Awards / Grants / Residencies
2022 All That We Are – Four Week Artist Residency - Tasmania
2012 A.M.E. Bale Art Prize for Works on Paper, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
2009 Education Partnerships Grant, Extended Residency with City of Melbourne’s ArtPlay and Ardeer South Primary School Artists in school, Arts Victoria.
2006 Education Partnership Grant, Artist in School Grant, Residency with Collingwood English Language School, Arts Victoria.
2006 Artist in Residence Camberwell Boys Grammar.
2000 Word Journeys, Boorandara Writers Festival, Town Hall Gallery, City of Boorandara Hawthorn, Victoria, (exhibition and series of workshops)