by Brad Robson
140 Princes Highway, St Peters
Painting large scale portraits has always been a big challenge for me, I love nothing more than to bring out the human aspect of my subjects. The expression and loose brush strokes celebrate the past, present and future, and impermanent nature of all things. It is champions of the past that create our future.
This artwork transforms an enormously bland wall to reveal the makers, mechanics, creatives and icons of Australia's motorcycle industry.
Procycles, Sydney’s most established, iconic motorcycle shops with a history dating back to the 1970's, operating in two locations, the original store at Hornsby and secondly at St Peters for the past 17 years. Over the many years, Procycles have been deeply involved in the grass roots of motorcycle sport in the dirt and on the tar, creating events, mentored young riders and sponsoring Australian champions, such as Warren Willing, Greg Hansford and Ken Blake – their portraits celebrated here on the wall.
Featuring large scale portraits of 1970s famous Australian motorcycle riders - Warren Willing, Greg Hansford and Ken Blake.
About the building:
One of Sydney’s most established, iconic motorcycle shops with a history dating back to the 1970's, operating in two locations, the original store at Hornsby and secondly at St Peters for the past 17 years. Over the many years, Procycles have been deeply involved in the grass roots of motorcycle sport in the dirt and on the tar, creating events, mentored young riders and sponsoring Australian champions, such as Warren Willing, Greg Hansford and Ken Blake – their portraits celebrated here on the wall.
Local Inner West based artist, Brad Robson (b. 1976) is a painter and street artist. Now working extensively across Australia and internationally, his art can be seen worldwide. With multi-story works adorning buildings in Sydney, Berlin, Los Angeles, New York and Barcelona, Robson leaves a growing impression on the art world.
Locally, Robson has produced 4 outstanding works for Inner West Council's Perfect Match Street Art Program, this being the fourth.
For his gallery works, Robson paints exclusively with oils. With exhibitions in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US, he is fast building a reputation as one of the most exciting new painters in the contemporary scene.
In his Marrickville based studio, Robson paints works of sweet pop-culture nostalgia - then subjects them to attack. Erasing squeegee strokes disfigure iconic figures, transforming them into something new. Something more. Gods from art, cinema and cartoon culture are assaulted, detained and questioned. It’s a traumatic process but through it something impossible happens. He brings the dry husks of our cultural dead back to life.
By creating immortal, unchanging pop-exteriors, Robson gives a glimpse of what has been lost. To each and every pop-culture icon he paints – he gives back an essence of truth and immediacy we’ve long since lost.
His work changes the unchangeable, brining back to life those passed. So real it seems to breathe. That, itself, is more than a little bit magic..
These resources have been designed by experienced Visual Arts educators to support students and teachers studying and delivering the NSW syllabus for Visual Arts, and are tailored to Stage 4 and Stage 5.
Stage 6 teachers may also consider some of the artist studies for their students.
