painter, was born in Colac, Victoria and lives in Melbourne. He completed his BA Fine Art at RMIT in 1976-79. In 1984 he travelled throughout USA then paid another short visit there in 1990. Since 1992 he has exhibited regularly at Powell Street Gallery. His historicist paintings include Babar the elephant in a von Guerard landscape and a self-portrait as Bungaree in a von Guerard landscape.
Bush’s exhibition Claiming (1991) was partly inspired by 19th century USA travelling 'one picture’ exhibitions, especially Frederick Church’s Twilight in the wilderness (1860) one-picture exhibition – hence some spaces at ACCA had only one painting. (1) Lure of Van Diemen’s Land (1989) shows him as eighteenth-century settler in front of a Salvator Rosa landscape; (2) Return (1989) shows him in the same outfit (different hat) in front of a Greek temple/ folly. (3) Plains of Promise (1990) is exploration picture with 4 self-portrait men on foot and one dressed as a woman riding side-saddle on a horse, all with same features. (4) Claiming (1989) has two self-portrait men in front of a gigantic half-buried sculpted head of George Washington {Naomi Cass says it’s Albert Namatjira}. (5) This big in the afterlife (1990) has 2 soldier suppliants outside a cave, one clinging to the leg of a Napoleonic style of figure (all with same face as the explorers – again self-portraits). (6) The promise – the inevitable disappointment (1989) shows a modern man photographing a blackface Bush as Bungaree bowing and sweeping off his hat beside a river.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1999
- Last updated:
- 2011
