29 March 2006

Pro Hart grievers have a go at the Gallery

| johnboy
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The ABC is carrying a story in which the family of the recently deceased Pro Hart, and his local member have a go at the National Gallery for being seemingly alone in the major galleries of the world in never having exhibited the artist’s work.

Was the it the matter of Pro being almost unique in the Australian arts world for not having left-wing politics? Or was his work just rubbish?

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Artsy Fartsy8:25 pm 12 Apr 06

I happened to know Pro Hart closely,Pro never had a marketing machine, he painted in his Home Town some 1200ks from Sydney, 500ks from Adelaide, 850Ks from Melbourne etc, Yet he was internationally renowned before the stain master carpet ad. That’s why they choose him, they wanted some one credible to carry the 100s of thousands they were spending. How does a bush boy end up the biggest name in Australian art without a marketing campaign, if he has nothing to offer??? Look at all his work, not just the landscapes hes been stereo typed for. The streets were lined by mourners for miles, he was a generous man Donating 100s of thousands of dollars, to hundreds of indviduals and organisations alike. Not like most drugged out Artists only spending on themselves.
Dont just belive the media, come to Broken Hill and ask for yourself.

Erewego, the “Oh Meester Hart, what a mess!” ad was for a stain-resistant type of carpet.

Hold on Thumps,
His innings isn’t over yet. Still painting prolifically, been hung in galleries around the world but not (to my knowledge) in any State gallery in Oz….and probably more the darling of the Tokyo/Okinawa sake set.

Thumper,
“Therefore the elite could not be seen to be advocating his work in any way. However, he will always remain a popular and important part of Australian Arts history.”
-Feel the same way about one Kenneth Done?

I liked him mostly for that add he did, with the cleaner going:
“O mister Hart, What a mess!!’
that was top shelf. Wouldve bought a bucket of whatever it was that he was flogging in that add but I dont think I ever noticed whhat it was

Perhaps it has more to do with the fact that the carpet cleaners clean up the ‘art’ before any gallery can get chance to tear up the bherber and stick on a wall?

I believe the fact that the NAG….ooops, I mean NGA doesn’t like his work actually gives Pro’s paintings more value.

i think there are important cultural reasons to hang pro hart in the nga. if they will hang dot paintings, then i cant see why they wont hang pro hart!

yes it does represent a style and theme of australian art which is popular.

which should justify inclusion in a national australian gallery.

fuck the elites.

Yawn…what a non event. Pro Hart’s stale clichéd style of painting certainly appeals to a particular market – probably not because they appreciate or know anything about art, but because the artists marketing spin machine has elevated what would otherwise be a non-starter to a certain profile. All this crap about the NGA not wasting wall space on his dross is simply the marketing machine capitalizing on a one off event – the artists’ death. Pro Hart’s paintings do a good job of livening up pub walls and the occasional living room of the great unwashed and they do that job well – do they belong in the NGA? Does a chicken have lips?

he obviously just didn’t charge enough, all he had to do was whack another couple of zeros on the price tag and they would have snapped him up I’m sure

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