Robert Rooney b. 24 September 1937

  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Photographer)
In the 1960s Melbourne artist became well known for his lively hard edge abstract paintings which were based on images discovered on cereal packets. Later he gave the same magnified scrutiny to knitting patterns and then elements of suburban culture. In 1970 he turned from painting to systematic photographic observation. Rooney has also written extensively on Australian art as art critic for both The Age and The Australian.
Tags: Colour field, Systems
exhibited at
1968
Date
1995
Place
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Description

1968 was an exhibition of works from the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Australia, curated by Michael Desmond and Christine Dixon. As the curators noted, it included work from 1967 to 1969 that encapsulated the spirit of those revolutionary years both in Australia, Europe and the USA.

Type
Exhibition
Tags
revolution, posters, Graphic Art, Photography, Abstraction, Colour, Political art, political posters, Minimal art, Fashion
exhibited at
Downtown: Ruscha Rooney Arkley
Date
1995
Place
Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, VIC
Description

Source: Solo Survey Exhibition Linkage Project, Tasmanian School of Art, UTAS
Heide exhibition archive; AGNSW Library catalogue

Exhibition Catalogue:
Downtown: Ruscha Rooney Arkley. Bulleen, Vic: Museum of Modern Art Heide, 1995
ISBN 0947104305

Type
Exhibition
Tags
Group, Painting
exhibited at
From the homefront: Robert Rooney works 1953-1988
Date
1990
Place
Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne, VIC
Description

A comprehensive survey.

Source: Solo Survey Exhibition Linkage Project, Tasmanian School of Art, UTAS
http://www.monash.edu.au/muma/publications/; MUMA archive printout

Exhibition Catalogue:
Duncan, J. (ed), From the Homefront : Robert Rooney. Clayton: Monash University Gallery, 1990
59p: 36 col. & 26 b&w ill; ISBN 0732602157

Type
Exhibition
Tags
Retrospective, Painting
exhibited at
Terrorism in Australia
Date
July 1978
Place
Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide, SA
Description

Robert Rooney, Leigh Hobba, installation

Tags
Experimental Art Foundation, Installation
exhibited at
Survey 3: Robert Rooney
Date
1978
Place
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
Description

Robert Lindsay’s series of survey exhibitions were exhibited in a specially adapted area close
to the Gallery Society Lounge. Each exhibition concentrated on one contemporary Australian artist and aimed to present a comprehensive survey of their work.

Source: Solo Survey Exhibition Linkage Project, Tasmanian School of Art, UTAS
NGV annual report; UTAS catalogue; National Library of Australia catalogue

Exhibition Catalogue:
Robert Rooney: Survey 3. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 1978. 1 folded sheet [5]p : ill ; 30 cm
Robert Rooney / produced and edited by Robert Lindsay, Bob Weis ; produced at the Media Resource Centre for the National Gallery of Victoria [videorecording]. Melbourne, Vic. : AFI Distribution Ltd., c1978.

Type
Exhibition
Tags
Solo Survey, Painting
exhibited at
Australia Council New York Loft Show
Date
October 1977
Place
Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide, SA
Description

Tim Burns, Robert Rooney, Virginia Coventry

Tags
Experimental Art Foundation
exhibited at
Project 8: Robert Rooney
Date
October 1975
Type
Exhibition
Note
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
exhibited at
Robert Rooney: photographic works
Date
30 July 1975 - 9 August 1975
Place
Pinacotheca Gallery, Richmond, Vic
Type
Exhibition
Tags
Pinacotheca
exhibited at
Project 9: Documents, Film, Video
Date
1975
Place
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Description
Type
Exhibition
exhibited at
Project 8: Robert Rooney
Date
1975
Place
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Description

19 paintings and photographic works.

Source: Solo Survey Exhibition Linkage Project, Tasmanian School of Art, UTAS
AGNSW Annual Report and archive index cards

Exhibition Catalogue:
Lindsay, Robert, Robert Rooney. [Sydney]: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1975
[4]p : ill ; 33 cm

Type
Exhibition
Tags
Solo A, Major Solo, Painting
exhibited at
Recent Australian Art
Date
19 October 1973 - 18 November 1973
Place
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales
Type
Exhibition
exhibited at
The Situation Now: Object and Post Object Art
Date
16 July 1971 - 6 August 1971
Place
Central Street Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Description

Curated by Terry Smith and Donald Brook, The Situation Now: Object and Post Object Art, was a survey exhibition of conceptual and experimental works in Australia, sponsored by the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) held at Central Street. David Aspden’s work listed in the catalogue was replaced by a work by James Doolin in the exhibition itself.

Type
Exhibition
Tags
One Central Street
exhibited at
Exhibition of photographic work by artists associated with Pinacotheca
Date
31 May 1971 - 19 June 1971
Place
Inhibodress Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Type
Exhibition
Tags
Inhibodress, Pinacotheca
exhibited at
Robert Rooney: paintings
Date
c.August 1970
Place
Pinacotheca Gallery, Richmond, Vic
Type
Exhibition
Tags
Pinacotheca
exhibited at
Robert Rooney: paintings
Date
7 July 1969 - July 1969
Place
Pinacotheca Gallery, St Kilda, Vic
Type
Exhibition
Tags
Pinacotheca
exhibited at
'The Field'
Date
1968
Place
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
Description
Type
Exhibition
exhibited at
Perth Prize for drawing 1967
Date
7 December 1967 - 1 January 1968
Place
Western Australian Art Gallery, Perth, WA
Type
Exhibition
exhibited at
The Mirror Waratah Festival Art Competition '66
Date
2 October 1966 - 8 October 1966
Place
Hyde Park, Sydney, NSW
Description

First public appearance of Vag Dens, by Vivienne Binns (Invitation Section, catalogue number 3).

Type
Exhibition
Tags
Feminist
exhibited at
A unique exhibition of avant-garde art
Date
22 May 1965 - 30 May 1965
Place
Latchford Showroom, Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales
Type
Exhibition