Ben Fennessy
Ben is fascinated by the ancient volcanos that surround South West Victoria. Windblown trees, huge skies and hills are the images that have, to date, inspired his interpretation of landscape. Late afternoon light plays upon the dark tones present in his powerful images, reflecting a sense of hope at the edge of loss.
A boat trip to the awe-inspiring island volcano, Deen Maar (aka Lady Julia Percy Island) inspired Ben to shift his oeuvre from the land to the sea, bringing fluidity and lightness.
Bio: Born Melbourne. At fourteen, Ben took art lessons from Bill Coleman – George Bell School. He won a scholarship to study painting and drawing at the National Gallery Art School. Ben has lived, painted and taught art in Western Victoria for 40 years.
Education
Diploma of Fine Arts – National Gallery Art School, 1971
Diploma of Education – Hawthorn Teachers’ College, 1976
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art – Victorian College of the Arts, 1982
Solo Exhibitions
1980 Old Bank Gallery, Bunninyong; Hawthorn City Art Gallery
1981 Rossmoyne Gallery, Colac
1982 Iceberg Gallery, Melbourne
1987 Warrnambool Art Gallery; Deakin House, Deakin University, Geelong
1991 Open Studio Exhibition, Breamlea
1995 Studio Exhibition, Breamlea
2007 Recent paintings and prints, Geelong Gallery
2008 ‘Landscape’, Upstairs, Flinders Gallery, Melbourne
2012-13 Open Studio, F Project, Rosebrook
2014 ‘Rosebrook – New paintings’, The Artery, Warrnambool
2015 Impressions of Deen Maar’ Boom Art, Geelong
'At the root of his work is the English tradition of landscape painting, the pastoral and romantic landscapes… However, the intense contrasts of colour in Fennessy’s paintings evoke the drama inherent in the Australian environment: fire, flood and ocean gales'.
- Ann Carew
A boat trip to the awe-inspiring island volcano, Deen Maar (aka Lady Julia Percy Island) inspired Ben to shift his oeuvre from the land to the sea, bringing fluidity and lightness.
Bio: Born Melbourne. At fourteen, Ben took art lessons from Bill Coleman – George Bell School. He won a scholarship to study painting and drawing at the National Gallery Art School. Ben has lived, painted and taught art in Western Victoria for 40 years.
Education
Diploma of Fine Arts – National Gallery Art School, 1971
Diploma of Education – Hawthorn Teachers’ College, 1976
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art – Victorian College of the Arts, 1982
Solo Exhibitions
1980 Old Bank Gallery, Bunninyong; Hawthorn City Art Gallery
1981 Rossmoyne Gallery, Colac
1982 Iceberg Gallery, Melbourne
1987 Warrnambool Art Gallery; Deakin House, Deakin University, Geelong
1991 Open Studio Exhibition, Breamlea
1995 Studio Exhibition, Breamlea
2007 Recent paintings and prints, Geelong Gallery
2008 ‘Landscape’, Upstairs, Flinders Gallery, Melbourne
2012-13 Open Studio, F Project, Rosebrook
2014 ‘Rosebrook – New paintings’, The Artery, Warrnambool
2015 Impressions of Deen Maar’ Boom Art, Geelong
'At the root of his work is the English tradition of landscape painting, the pastoral and romantic landscapes… However, the intense contrasts of colour in Fennessy’s paintings evoke the drama inherent in the Australian environment: fire, flood and ocean gales'.
- Ann Carew
