John Spooner

About John Spooner

John Spooner was born in Melbourne in 1946. He studied law at Monash University, and practised as a lawyer for three years, specializing in Common Law Litigation.

Spooner commenced drawing for the "Age" newspaper in 1974, leaving the Law in 1977. He was awarded the Walkley Award in 1982.

Powell Street Gallery held an exhibition of his prints and drawings in a two man show with fellow artist Peter Nicholson, in 1984. This was followed (1984) by a two man exhibition, also with Peter Nicholson, at Solander Gallery, Canberra. Spooner: Drawings Caricatures and Prints was published by Thomas Nelson in 1982

In the period 1985/1986 Spooner was the winner of five Stanely Awards, including the Black and White Artist of the Year gold Stanely Award. One of the winners of the Mornington Peninsula Print Aquisitive Award 1986, his work is now part of this permanent collection. Spooner was the co- winner of the Fremantle Print Prize (1986)

A solo exhibition of his prints and drawings was held by the Westpac Gallery in 1989. Bodies and Souls, a book of his drawings, caricatures and prints, was published in 1989 by Macmillan, with a forward by Barry Humphries.

In 1994 Spooner was awarded two Walkely Awards for Best Illustration and Best Cartoon.

A solo exhibition John Spooner - A Survey, Prints Drawings and Paintings 1987 - 1996 was held at the Westpac Gallery in August of 1996. 1997 Solo exhibition at the Essoign Club, Owen Dixon Chambers

1998 Group Exhibition Kensington Gallery, Adelaide, and participated in a group exhibition at Theatreworks, Melbourne. Represented in the Australian Contemporary Art Fair 1998

In 1999 Spooners cartoons were included in When Australia was a woman, exhibition curated by the Western Australian Museum and in Bringing Down the House an exhibition curated by the National Museum of Australia

A Spooner in the Works , published by Text Publishing, comprising cartoons, prints and paintings. 2000 Solo exhibition Recent Thoughts at George Adams Gallery, (Victorian Arts Centre) showing paintings, cartoons and printmaking.

Spooners? work is represented in the Collections of The National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Canberra, The National Gallery of Victoria, The Victorian State Library Art, The Melbourne Cricket Club Museum, public and private collections throughout Australia and internationally. John Spooner is married to novelist Olga Lorenzo; they have three children.

Source: Chrysalis Publishing web site with permission

For more on John Spooner see
http://www.chrysalis.com.au/artists.asp?intArtistID=27