Arthur Murch (1902 - 1989)
Biography
1902 Born in Croydon, NSW
1921-25 Studied life-drawing and painting at the Royal Art Society School, Sydney
under Dattilo Rubbo and James R Jackson
1923-25 Studied sculpture at East Sydney Technical College under Raynor Hoff
1925 Travelled to London on the Society of Artists Travelling Scholarship. Studied at Chelsea Polytechnic, London, and Old British School, Rome. Worked at Academie Julian, Paris. Travelled in Britain, France, Italy and Spain, studying the Old Masters in art museums
1927 Returned to Sydney. Exhibited regularly with the Society of Artists and Contemporary Art Group
1928-30 Sculptor assistant to George Lambert, worked on St Mary's Recumbent Soldier and Sydney Domain Henry Lawson statue
1928 Elected member of Society of Artists
1930-33 Painting in Thirroul especially in the winters of 1932 and 1933
1930-36 Part-time teaching at East Sydney Technical College, modelling and drawing
1933 Travelled to Central Australia for six weeks, based at Hermannsburg. Spent two weeks on a camel trip to Mount Liebig
1933 First solo exhibition at Macquarie Galleries, chiefly drawings and paintings about Central Australia
1934 Second expedition, twelve weeks to Central Australia. Exhibition with Society of Artists including a number of Aboriginal portraits and Central Australian landscapes
1936 Left for England, studied Cézanne, Seurat, etc
1938 Designed Glasgow Empire Exhibition for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa's Wool Pavilion, 40ft felt appliqué mural
1939 Painting of Leda hung on line at Royal Academy, London
1939-40 Returned to Sydney
1940 Married journalist, Ria Counsell
1942-43 Official War Artists, initially appointed to paint portraits, posted in Darwin, Northern Territory. Returned to Melbourne then Sydney in January 1943 to work on Northern Territory pictures
1943-47 Teaching at East Sydney Technical College
1945 Ure Smith's book 'Present Day Art in Australia' made Murch's art widely known
1950-51 Large Arts for Peace corroboree mural, University of Queensland
1964-65 Spent three months in Central Australia at Hermannsburg
1967 Teaching at Royal Art Society, Narrabeen Girls High School and private summer schools
1989 Died in Avalon, NSW
Solo Exhibitions
1933, 36 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1934 Fine Art Society's Gallery, Melbourne
1944, 47 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1945 John Cooper, Brisbane
1952, 57 John Martin's Gallery, Adelaide
1953, 61 Moreton Galleries, Brisbane
1956 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1963, 65 Moreton Galleries, Brisbane
1963 David Jones, Brookvale, Sydney
1968 Hahndorf Gallery, Adelaide Festival
1968 Toorak Gallery, Melbourne
1969 Moreton Galleries, Brisbane
1975, 76 Barefoot Art Gallery, Avalon, Sydney
1977 Art Gallery of New South Wales, Project 19
1984 Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide and Perth
1990 Art Gallery of New South Wales, Tribute Exhibition
1992 'Arthur Murch 1902 - 1989 – A Retrospective', Art Museum Armidale, S.H. Ervin Gallery and Campbelltown Bicentennial Art Gallery
1995 'Arthur Murch: Trees and Landscape', Southern Highland Regional Art Gallery
Selected Group Exhibitions
1938 '150 Years of Australian Art', Art Gallery of NSW
1941-45 'Art of Australia 1788 - 1941', National Gallery of Art, Washington, touring US and Canada
1943-44 'The Herald Exhibition of Australian Official War Artists', toured Australia
1945 'The Herald Exhibition of Australian Present-day Art from NSW and Other States', Lower Town Hall, Melbourne
1951 'Jubilee Exhibition of Australian Art', toured Australia
1954 'Artists by Artists', toured Australia
1970 'Landfall: The Captain James Cook Bi-centenary Exhibition of Australian Art', National Gallery of Victoria
1974 'White on Black: The Australian Aborigine Portrayed in Art', Art Gallery of SA, Adelaide Festival of Arts
1975 'The Australian Landscape 1802 - 1975', Art Gallery of NSW, touring exhibition to Peking and Nanking
1978 'Landscape and Image', Gallery Directors Council of Australia, toured Indonesia
Awards
1925 NSW Society of Artists Travelling Scholarship
1935 NSW Society of Artists Medal
1941 Competition for memorial in honour of Dame Nellie Melba
1949 Archibald Prize
1958 Royal Easter Show, NSW, rural subject
1989 Emeritus Award, Australia Council
Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
Bendigo Art Gallery
Castlemaine Art Gallery
Howard Hinton Collection, Art Museum Armidale
Manly Art Gallery
University Art Museum, Queensland
Private collections in Australia and overseas
Sources:
Ria Murch, 'Arthur Murch: An Artist's Life 1902 - 1989', Ruskin Rowe Press, Avalon, 1997
'Arthur Murch 1902 - 1989: A Painting Retrospective', Art Museum Armidale, 1992
KR