Press Release: Victor Rubin - The Small Masonite Paintings from Raine Street, Bondi Junction 1974-76

Opening Saturday August 22, drinks with the artist 3-5PM

Victor Rubin’s August show will be an important historical showing of some 44 1970’s paintings on masonite which have never been exhibited. Painted when Rubin was in his early to late 20’s the boards have been archived in Victor’s studio since they were painted. The period covers 1974-1976 with the majority of paintings from 1974-75 when he was living in Raine Street Bondi Junction in Sydney. This period of his work follows on from his involvement with the famous Yellow House in Macleay Street, Potts Point where he exhibited in 1971 at which point the Yellow House attracted the most cutting edge contemporary artists of the time including Brett Whiteley and others. The period is also marked by a strong influence from John Olsen who was Rubin’s teacher at the Bakery Art School and who remains a close friend.

This exhibition coincides with Rubin’s recent success as a finalist in the Sulman Prize this year for his painting of Patrick White and Monoly Lascaris, White and Manoly with Nellie. Patrick White and Manoly Lascaris were major collectors of Rubin’s work. They donated Victor Rubin works from their collection to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1991.

Victor Rubin is represented in all major public collections in Australia including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Queensland Art Gallery. His work has been collected by some of the most important private and corporate collections of Australian art including the Patrick White collection and the ICI collection.