Robert Jacks AO (1943 – 2014)
An Important Selling Retrospective
W O RKS F ROM THE ARTIST’S E STATE
Robert Jacks AO (1943 – 2014)
An Important Selling Retrospective
W O R KS FR OM T H E A R T I S T ’ S E S TAT E
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Sadly Robert Jacks did not live to see the opening of his triumphant retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2014. The brilliant catalogue published by the NGV for this fabulous exhibition is a work of art in itself and serves as the most significant publication to date on the artist, whom former NGV director Patrick McCaughey, described as a master of his own material. Noted art critic John McDonald, in his review of this major exhibition and writing in the Sydney Morning Herald on November 8th 2014 said: "In the sensuous silhouette of a guitar or the subtle juxtapositions of colour in a grid, he (Jacks) was revisiting his life’s work, constructing a summa and testament for a career in which the analytical impulse strove for dominance with an irrepressible sense of beauty” What the NGV retrospective showed so well, was the breadth of the artist’s career and Robert Jacks' artistic consistency over five decades. Always moving with the times, Jacks stayed slightly ahead of the pack, whilst remaining true to his own vision and his inspirations. From his early works of the 1950s and 1960s, where St Ives school visionaries such as Ben Nicholson and Barbra Hepworth, deeply influenced his thinking and excited him, Jacks developed his own language that explored and pushed his own boundaries. Jacks was represented in the famous exhibition The Field, at the NGV in 1968 which was both ground breaking and controversial in its era. Jacks studied sculpture from 1958-1960 at Prahran Technical College and while he exhibited more often as a painter over the decades, sculpture remained integral and deeply rooted to his practice. In fact you could say that his paintings are two-dimensional sculptures in themselves. You only have to place a sculpture next to a related painting for there to be an immediate and obvious harmony. Jacks always had an awareness of the world around him, especially with the era’s progressive art movements. He immersed himself within the avant-garde thinking of the day and this was evident in his work throughout his life. From the minimalist works inspired by New York city art culture of the late 1960s and 1970s, through to the vibrant and powerful large-scale works he produced in Sydney during the 1980s and beyond, Jacks never stopped assessing, recalibrating and moving forward.
As well as the many exhibitions at state and regional institutions, Robert Jacks' commercial exhibiting history in Australia was active and illustrious and included exhibitions in his early years at such legendary galleries as Gallery A and Realities Gallery (Melbourne) and Bonython Gallery (Sydney) and Ray Hughes Gallery (Brisbane). In later years he showed regularly with Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery as well as at Anna Schwartz Gallery, Robert Lindsay Gallery, Deutscher Fine Art, Australian Galleries, Tim Olsen Gallery and Philip Bacon Galleries, to name a few. At Gallery A which held Jacks' debut exhibition in 1966, his show was a total sell out and included in these sales was a major acquisition for the state collection by (Sir) Eric Westbrook, then director of the National Gallery of Victoria. While such meteoric early success brought with it some problems, which in part lead to Jacks leaving Australia for the US and Canada, he enjoyed a long and successful commercial exhibiting history in this country. At the conclusion of his life, when you observe Jacks' work from the mid to late 2000s, you still see an artist that stayed true to himself into his sixth decade as a practicing and exhibiting artist. This is very rare, especially for an Australian artist over this period. Commercial factors alone have often pressured Australian artists to take tangental paths. Jacks would often look back to his early work to refresh and reinspire himself and it is perhaps his own retrospection that allowed him to stay so very connected to himself as an artist over such a long time. Looking back over his career as an Australian abstract colourist, working and exhibiting as he was in the hey-day of this genre, that is the 1960s and 1970s, Robert Jacks has to be considered among the greatest this country has produced. We are honoured to present this selling retrospective covering five decades of Robert Jacks' stellar career as a painter, a sculptor and foremost as a thinker, an exhibition which comprises some of the most significant works left within the artist’s studio. We are very pleased to offer many of these works for the first time on behalf of the artist’s estate. Most have not been seen for decades and a few of these works were included in and exhibited at the NGV’s important Robert Jacks Retrospective – Order and Variation. Paul Sumner Artvisory, May 2019
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Guitar in flight, conceived 1958 bronze signed and dated 1958 and numbered 2/5 18cm long, 9.5cm high
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Moon window, circa 1958/9 oil on plywood signed lower right and signed and titled to verso 61 x 89cm RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.14/15. The above works also exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Two women and a jug, circa 1958/59 oil on plywood signed to verso 61.5 x 91.5cm RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.14/15. Also exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Two women, circa 1958/59 titled to verso oil on plywood 41 x 46.5cm RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.14/15. Also exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Goddess, conceived 1959 polished bronze signed and dated and numbered 58/60, artist’s proof 62cm high EXHIBITED
Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park , Melbourne, 2006.
Installation shot: Robert Jacks, Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2006. Photograph by Sonia Payes, Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Goddess, conceived 1959 bronze signed and dated 59 and numbered 2/6 62cm EXHIBITED
Robert Jacks, Reasons to be cheerful, Bendigo Art Gallery 2002, cat. no. 40. RELATED WORKS
The high polished casting of this work was exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
Installation shot: Robert Jacks, Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2006. Photograph by Sonia Payes, Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Scotsman in Nice, circa 1971 bronze signed and dated 1971 and numbered 2/6 27.5cm long, 22cm high
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Paper cut, 1971, (2012) re-made signed with initials lower right paper size 28 x 20.5cm RELATED WORKS
Another version of this work was exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.77.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
New York Strip Grids, 1970-72 five panels oil on board each panel signed each panel 244 x 15.5cm RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.64/69.
Robert Jacks, New York, c1975
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Things not known, 1973 oil on canvas signed, titled, and dated to verso 90 x 90cm EXHIBITED
Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014, Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.72. REFERENCE
Art and Australia, Vol 33. No 2. Summer 1995. Robert Jacks: axioms of choice Rachel Kent. pg.194. A sister work of 1972 and of the same size illustrated.
Robert Jacks, Madison Avenue, 1971 Robert Jacks (Third from left) with Ric Evans, Peter Kolisnyk and Roger Poitrow
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Blaze of Days, 1985-1990 oil on canvas signed, titled and dated to verso 198 x 198cm EXHIBITED
Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria, 2014. See accompanying catalogue where it is illustrated on pg.143.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1990s painted wood wall sculpture 40cm high,13cm wide RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
Installation shot: Robert Jacks, Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2006. Photograph by Sonia Payes, Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, 1990s acrylic on canvas signed to verso 60.5 x 40.5cm
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1990s painted wood wall sculpture 49cm high, 18cm wide RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1994 oil on canvas signed to verso 168 x 251cm
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1990s painted wood wall sculpture 23cm high, 5.5cm wide RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1995 oil on canvas signed to verso oval 50.5 x 40cm
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Spanish suite, circa 1996-2001 painted wood sculpture 102cm high, 28cm square EXHIBITED
New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale. NSW. Robert Jacks: Printed Matter, May 2017 RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Robert Jacks, Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue. pg.156 Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Spanish suite, 1996-2001 painted wood sculpture signed, titled and dated 1998 to base 88cm high, 30cm square RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
Robert Jacks in his studio, Harcourt, Victoria
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, 1995 oil on canvas signed and dated to verso oval 40.5 x 30cm
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1990s painted wood wall sculpture 67cm high, 17cm wide RELATED WORKS
Related works from this series were exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Untitled, circa 1997 bronze signed 52cm high
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Guitar, circa 1997 bronze signed and dated 1997 and numbered 2/6 37cm high, base 9.5cm wide
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Guitar 1,1999 oil on canvas signed titled and dated to verso 91.5 x 91.5cm EXHIBITED
Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006 ILLUSTRATED
Post Unfolded, Ken McGregor, Craftsman House, 2001, pg.88.
Installation shot: Robert Jacks, Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2006. Photograph by Sonia Payes, Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Guitar 2,1999 oil on canvas signed titled and dated to verso 91 x 91cm EXHIBITED
Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006 ILLUSTRATED
Post Unfolded, Ken McGregor, Craftsman House, 2001, pg.87.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Cast Guitar, circa 1997 bronze signed and dated 1997 34cm high, 12cm square EXHIBITED
Other castings were shown at: Robert Jacks, Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue. pg.151. A casting of this work was exhibited: Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Melbourne, 2006
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
They Wait, circa 2000 oil on canvas signed and titled to verso 153 x 183cm RELATED WORKS
A related work, Waiting, 2000, exhibited: Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria, 2014, see the accompanying catalogue for a double page illustration pg.100/101 and again pg.157. Another related work from 1959 from when this series was inspired is illustrated: Post Unfolded, Ken McGregor, Craftsman House, 2001, pg.53 plate 8. A larger work of the same year titled Waiting was exhibited: Robert Jacks, Reasons to be cheerful, Bendigo Art Gallery 2002, cat. no. 38.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Blue Zenith, 2000 painted wood sculpture 103.5cm high, 24cm square RELATED WORKS
Related works titled Red/Black/White Zenith from the same year. These works were exhibited: Robert Jacks Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria 2014. Illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pg.155. These works were exhibited: Robert Jacks, Reasons to be cheerful, Bendigo Art Gallery 2002, cat. no. 47. REFERENCE
Art and Australia, Vol 33. No 2. Summer 1995. Robert Jacks: Axioms of Choice Rachel Kent. pg.197 illustrated.
Installation shot: Robert Jacks, Working in Multiple Dimensions, McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2006. Photograph by Sonia Payes, Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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ROBERT JACKS AO (1943-2014)
Kind of Blue, 2008 signed, dated and titled to verso 122 x 183cm RELATED WORKS
Related works from the same series were exhibited: Robert Jacks, Order and Variation, National Gallery of Victoria, 2014. See accompanying catalogue pg.162/163.
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Opposite: Sonia Payes portrait of Robert Jacks at home in Harcourt, Victoria, 2007. Published: Untitled, Sonia Payes Portraits of Australian Artists, McMillan, 2007. Copyright courtesy of the artist.
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