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Ivor Hele Australian Artist

It is not often I come across a new artist that knocks my socks off. I mean someone I never heard of before.... at all. Ivor Hele was one of the most productive Australian artists in their history completing more commissioned works than any other artist in the country to that time. He is primarily known as a war artist stationed in North Africa and then New Guinea during WWII, He later drew with Australian troops in Korea. After the war, though he became a bit of a recluse, doing commissioned portraits ( Winning the top Australian prize for portrature, The Archibald prize, five times ) and many drawings and paintings of his second wife, all nudes from what I have seen. These intimate drawings seem to be viewed as a release from depicting what must have been the horrors of war in his earlier career. Little is seen of his work outside of Australia from what I can dig up. 

His drawing especially appeals to me. I see a very lithe, languid and sensuous drawing style in much of his portraits of single figures. In his war drawings a very earthy workman like quality shows up where the toil and energy expended in the scene are very evident. His drawing style most reminds me of D. Cornwell, F. Brangwyn, N. Fechin and R. Fawcett

I can find only two published works curently available:

1.) Ivor Hele, A Productive Artists published 2002 Wakefield Press

     Focusing on his post war figure work

2.) Ivor Hele The Heroic Figure published 1997 AWM

    Published by the Australian War Memorial Which holds the bulk of his war art.


Comments

8 Responses to Ivor Hele Australian Artist

Excellent post, Mike -- Hele's war paintings are right up there with Brangwyn and Sargent...his drawing is what makes them so -- nice examples here.

I am trying to find out if there are prints and what size of IVOR HELE's painting of STURT'S RELUCTANT DECISION TO TURN BACK from the attempt to get to the centre
THANK YOU

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Thanks for sharing these wonderful drawings.They have such powerful gestures in each image, the tilt of the shoulder in one or the hat in another combined with amazing technical skill . I loved looking at each one...made me proud to be Australian!

Hello, where can I get a print of Ivor Hele's painting of the red stockings.

I am lucky to have been intimate with Ivor Hele's work all my life .In fact I lived not t00 far from him In Adelaide south Australia . Was also privileged to see many of his works in the Australian war memorial in Canberra .A true Australian great artist

Wow...blown away. Such a fine draftsman. Gutsy and beautiful.

Nice work, I especially like the Conti work. They all had a story, thanks for sharing.


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