John R Walker
John R Walker's paintings are about seeing they embody an ever-present sense of curiosity and responsiveness. Yet they are also about feeling, what it is like to be there. Like all truly authentic landscape art we feel that the artist has experienced things, and he points them out, yet it is nature itself that speaks to us, both of its presence and its strangeness." (Andrew Sayers, 2007)
Walker lives and works in Braidwood, New South Wales and his paintings have come to define the landscape of that region. His exhibiting career spans over 30 years. In early 2008 a retrospective exhibition of Walker's work was staged at the S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney. In March of 2014, a survey of Walker's significant, large-scale canvases opened at Orange Regional Gallery. 'Here I give thanks', a survey exhibition curated by Glenn Barkley, was at The Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra in July 2015.
Walker is included in many major public, private and corporate collections. He is a regular finalist in the Wynne, Archibald and Sulman Prizes.
The Oratunga to Burra Suite of seven large paintings was included in the 2018 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the AGSA.
Journeys and Return was a survey of Walker's landscapes from the past ten years, at Orange Regional Gallery in 2023-4,
View available works here
.jpg)
solo exhibitions
group exhibitions
exhibition catalogues
news
Journeys & ReturnNovember 25, 2023 to January 21, 2024
Orange Regional Gallery will host a major exhibition celebrating John R Walker’s unique landscape paintings.
Curated by Gallery Director Brad Hammond this exhibition brings together the key paintings from Walker's oeuvre.
Here is the link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmRY9UN4-kY
see John McDonald's glowing review in the Sydney Morning Herald (2 Dec 2023)
Wynne Prize Finalists 2023May 6 to September 3
John R Walker and Mantua Nangla are the finalists in the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. This will also tour regional galleries in NSW later this year. Currently at BAMM in Moree NSW.
National Gallery of AustraliaFebruary, 2023
John R Walker's major painting Eagle Spirit, Vathiwarta 1 has just been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia. Capturing the layered geologic, climatic and human history of the Flinders Ranges.
Canberra Biennial 2022October 1 - 29
John R Walker and Brett Stone are part of the 2022 Canberra Biennial, Contour 556
John R Walker is exhibiting at Barton Art Box,with new paintings of Lake George and its surrounds.
Brett Stone presents a series of installations at Manning Clark House. These works are all interconnected, interpreting Canberra's built and natural environment.
Wynne Prize 2022From May 14, 2022
John R Walker's Eagle Spirit, Vathiwarta has been selected as a finalist in this year's Wynne Prize at the AGNSW
John R Walker at Burra Regional Art GalleryMay 20 to July 18 2021
John R Walker is revisiting Burra and surrounding region in South Australia 5 years after he visited the area when painting for the Adelaide Biennial in 2018
Tree of Life10 April to 30 May 2021
Tree of Life: A Testament to Endurance is a powerful selection of leading Australian artists whose work is inspired by the deep spiritual and physical association with the natural world. Includes 4 major paintings by John R Walker.
SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney, until May 30, 2021
John R Walker acquisition20 August 2020
The ACT Legislative Assembly as acquired John R Walker's recent painting After the fire, Bombay Picnic Ground I.
John R Walker InterviewJuly 17 2020
John R Walker is the latest in Richard Morecroft's Exhibition series of youtube interviews with Australian artists
Watch it here https://youtu.be/bKXJMe_PKzE
Darkest hours inspire artistic responseJuly 7 2020
Steve Meacham's article in the Sydney Morning Herald highlights John R Walkers paintings in response to the recent Australian bushfires.
River On the BrinkFrom September 19
John R Walker is included with two large paintings of the Darling River banks, in this exhibition highlighting the plight of the Murray Darling River Basin.
SH Ervin Gallery, Observatory Hill, Sydney
Mosman Art Prize 2018 September 26 - November 18, 2018
John R Walker is selected as a finalist in the 2018 Mosman Art Prize
John R Walker: Wynne Prize 201812 May - 9 September, 2018
John R Walker has been selected as a finalist for the 10th time in the Wynne Prize at the AGNSW.
Burra Big Day Out With John R Walker13 April, 2018
To celebrate John R Walker's Oratunga to Burra suite of paintings at the Adelaide Biennial a selection of his gouaches and artist books of Burra landscapes will be exhibited at Burra Regional Gallery The Zephyr Quartet will be performing on April 13 a programme of music inspired by his work.
John R Walker: Interiors7 April - 24 June, 2018
It has often been said that we are shaped by the spaces that surround us. Curated by Gavin Wilson, "Interiors" probes that concept through the eyes of a select group of modernist and contemporary artists. The exhibition includes two works by John R Walker, paintings of his shed.
Orange Regional Gallery, NSW
John R Walker: 2018 Adelaide Biennial3 March - 3 June, 2018
John R Walker selected for 2018 Adelaide Biennial at the AGSA. Divided Worlds, curated by Erica Green, presents 30 Australian artists over 4 venues, open until June 3, 2018. Walker has painted a suite of 7 large paintings of Burra and Oratunga, ancient eroded landscapes transformed by mining and agriculture.
John R Walker - Art MonthlyAugust 2015
Don't miss John Zubrzycki's insightful essay on John R Walker in the current (August 2015) issue of Art Monthly.
Says Zubrzycki, "to talk with Walker about his vision, his methodology and what has inspired him over the years is to embark on a journey that is part philosophy, part musicology, part geomorphology."
John R Walker at Drill Hall GalleryJune 2015
Curated by Glenn Barkley, ‘Here I Give Thanks' will bring together a group of John R Walker's works inspired by particular landscapes.
The exhibition will run from 3 July until 9 August 2015 at the Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra.
Opening Night: Thursday 2 July
For more information visit: http://dhg.anu.edu.au/events/john-r-walker/
John R Walker in Drawing Biennial at AGNSWNovember 2014
A number of delicate gouaches on paper by John R Walker feature in 'Drawing Out: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial', curated by Anne Ryan at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The exhibition runs from 21 November 2014 until 26 January 2015.
Reviews of the exhibition by John McDonald (SMH):
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/art-gallery-of-nsw-drawing-out-exhibition-shows-how-sketches-reveal-more-than-words-20141111-11joba.html
and by Sharon Verghis (The Australian):
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/the-lost-art/story-fnolgd60-1227114344061?sv=2619e4df7b842fce1b443c64dbfe7fec
John R Walker at Moree Plains GalleryOctober 2014
A survey exhibition of John R Walker's paintings will be at Moree Plains Gallery during October.
The exhibition opening is on Friday 10 October, from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
To view the online catalogue for the exhibition, follow this link:
http://issuu.com/utopiaartsydney/docs/site_moreeplainsgallery
John R Walker at SLNSWAugust 2014
Find two concertina artist books by John R Walker in the Amaze Gallery at the State Library of New South Wales.
John R Walker - two fabulous showsApril 2014
Terroir Big Land Pictures, John’s survey at Orange Regional Gallery, runs until
Sunday 27 April. To view the online catalogues, click on the following:
Catalogue
Installation views
The End of All Our Exploring, an exhibition of John’s recent work at Utopia Art
Sydney, closes on Saturday 26 April. Click here to see Online catalogue.
Also, read Gina Fairley’s review of the show on ArtsHub
John R WalkerApril 2014
John R Walker & Simryn Gill, finalists in Redlands Konica Art Prize
Find their work at the National Art School Gallery from 11 April until 15 May, 2014.
Coming up for John R Walker: a major survey and an exhibition of recent workFebruary 2014
Terroir: Big Land Pictures, a survey of John R Walker’s major canvases, will be at Orange Regional Gallery from 15 March to 27 April 2014.
Back in Sydney, ‘The End of All Our Exploring’ opens at Utopia Art Sydney on Saturday 22 March.
John R WalkerSeptember 2013
new website launched: http://johnrwalker.com.au
John R Walker, 'Winter in the Fire Forest' floor talk Saturday 10th November, 3pmNovember 2012
Visit the gallery on Saturday, November 10 at 3pm to hear Bryan Hooper discuss John R Walker’s latest body of work – until November 17.
John R Walker at MRAGOctober 2011
You are invited to the opening of John R Walker's solo exhibition 'Space and Time: Ten Years in the Landscape' at Maitland Regional Art Gallery on Saturday 22 October at 3pm. Exhibition runs until 4 December 2011.
John R Walker's painting Little River Road GateApril 2011
John R Walker's painting Little River Road Gate has been chosen by the S H Ervin selection panel for this years Salon des Refuses. The exhibition dates are 16 April to 19th June.