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Born in Broken Hill NSW, 1928.  Died 2006

 

Kevin Charles "Pro" Hart, MBE, born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, was considered the father of the Australian Outback painting movement and his works are widely admired for capturing the true spirit of the outback.

 

From drawing and sketching to the famed landscapes and narrative paintings of his heyday, Pro was energised by all forms of creativity. He was a performance artist who experimented endlessly with new forms of expression, a sculptor who loved metal and stone and an inventor extraordinaire who loved tinkering in his back shed.

 

Artisan, painter, collector, father, friend and husband, Pro Hart's life was a massive contribution to all those around him. Pro Hart's art captures the lush colours, the sense of space and the spiritual quality of the outback in ways very few artists are able to emulate. Powerful and imaginative creations are evident in all his works, as well as Pro's obvious love for Australia and the outback which is demonstrated with humorous and seemingly effortless flair.

 

Pro Hart travelled the world, but stayed in Broken Hill. He painted almost every day of his life but was disliked, even mocked by the "art mafia". He met and was admired by Princes, Presidents and movie stars, but he was a shy man who preferred the company of his mates. He collected Rolls Royce's, Rembrandt's and Picasso's, but loved Chinese takeaways and a cup of tea.

 

Pro's early years were spent on "Larloona" a sheep station, around 130kms from Broken Hill, learning by correspondence school. He was drawing from a young age, illustrating his homework at seven and progressing steadily in his talent. He continued to paint and draw after moving back to Broken Hill in his early twenties, even as he worked the long underground shifts in a mine. Indeed, the hard work and the characters in the mine provided much inspiration for the narrative category of his painting styles.

 

In 1960, at the age of 32 he married Raylee June Tonkin, 19, and together they had five children. He continued to paint and took art classes to help formalise his technique. He was discovered by Kim Bonython, a gallery owner from Adelaide, in 1962 and his popularity as an outback artist began to climb. Collection after collection would sell out and Pro began travelling the world. He met Kings and Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers and his art resides in large international collections.

 

Pro Hart's creative spirit knew no bounds, experimenting with "performance art" years before it became fashionable; dropping paint from hot air balloons, creating ice sculptures and even using a cannon to distribute paint on his chosen medium. Perhaps his most famous moment came with a series of television carpet commercials. He continued to experiment with art techniques all his life.

 

Mainly working in oils and acrylics, Pro used any tool or method to achieve the desired outcome for his work. He drew upon techniques of layering, chiaroscuro, glazing, scumbling, scratching and Alla prima. Pro was also a sculptor working with welded steel, bronze and ceramics. In 1976 he was awarded an MBE for his services to art in Australia. In 1982 he received an Honorary Life Membership of Society International Artistique for outstanding artistic achievement. This is granted to only one artist per continent and in 1983 he received an Australian Citizen of the Year Award.