DEREK O'CONNOR
Born 28th March 1957 Warwickshire, England
Adelaide, Australia from 1969
Currently lives in Canberra, A.C.T
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Erasure and shape Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra
2019 Notations. The son and heir of nothing in particular: one more time for the record, Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra
2018 Human Smoke, Watters Gallery, Sydney
2017 At Home, He’s a Tourist, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
2016 Hundstage, Watters Gallery, Sydney
2014 Pink, Watters Gallery, Sydney
2010 A New Body of Work and Lesser Known Appendages, Watters Gallery, Sydney
2009 Lost in a Kiss, Commissioned Installation, 2009 & 2010 Allens Arthur Robinson, Deutsche Bank Building, Sydney
While you were art, new prints, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
Paintings, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Derek O’Connor: 10 Year selection, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra, curated by Mark Van Veen
Reciprocal Translocations 2, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
2006 Paintings, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
2005 Collapsible, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
2004 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
Derek O'Connor: Recent Work, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
2002 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
2001 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
Reciprocal Translocations, First Floor Gallery, Melbourne
2000 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1999 Pairs. Legge Gallery, Sydney
1998 Cabin Fever. Lovers Gallery, Melbourne
1997 Cold, Stripp Gallery, Melbourne
New Works, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1996 Paintings, Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
1995 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1994 Paintings, Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
1993 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1992 Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
Group Exhibitions
2018 Celebration: 20 Years of collecting visual art at CMAG, Canberra Museum and Gallery, curated by Deborah Clark
2018 Monochrome: Empty & Full at the VCA, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, curated by David Sequeira
2017 Material World, M16 Artspace, M16 Studio Artists, curated by Suzanne Moss
2016 War, Watters Gallery, Sydney, Ian Howard, Ken Whisson, Richard Larter, Fiona Fell, Ruth Waller, Robert Parr, Euan Macleod, Rew Hanks,
Reg Mombassa, Ken Searle, Derek O'Connor, Evan Salmon, Steve Harrison, curated by Geoffrey Legge, Watters Gallery, Sydney
2015 B5761626572, M16 Artspace, Canberra, Robert Cleworth, Hamilton Darroch, Christoph Preussmann, Paul Uhlmann, Derek O’Connor
2014 Velocity, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, Robert Boynes, Jon Cattapan, Derek O’Connor, Merilyn Fairskye, Semiconductor- Ruth Jarman,
Joe Gerhardt and Gilbert Bel-Bachir, curated by Terence Maloon
2012 Melbourne Artfair 2012, Waters Gallery, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
2011 Intersections Christoph Preussmann, David Jolly, Johnathan Nichols, Derek O'Connor, Merryn Bowan, Emmanuel Walderdorff
Galerie, Köln,Germany.
Gleam of Light, M16 Gallery, Canberra, curated by Helen Maxwell
2010 The Navigators Lionel Bawden, Penny Byrne, Nicholas Folland, Locust Jones, Rhys Lee, Rob Mchaffie, Derek O’Connor,
Alex Spremberg, Madonna Staunton, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
Audiable Surface GW Bot, Greg Hodge, Kensuke Todo, Derek O’Connor, Ria Vlavianos, Savanhdary Vongpoothorn. M16 Gallery,
Canberra ACT
Art Month Sydney Watters Gallery, Sydney
Melbourne Artfair 2010 Watters Gallery, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Something in the Air - collage and assemblage in Canberra Region Art, Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, Canberra
Black and White, Monash Gallery of Art Travelling Exhibition (photography)
2009 Derek O’Connor and Richard Larter Works on Paper, Legge Gallery, Sydney
To whom it may concern: the written word in contemporary art , Young- Hae Chang Heavy Industries, Del Kathryn Barton, Lily Hibberd,
Locust Jones, Nell, Elizabeth Newman, Derek O’Connor, Sanja Pahoki, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
Blake Prize National Art School, Sydney
John Bartley, Vivienne Ferguson, Derek O'Connor, Legge Gallery, Sydney
2008 The Fall of the Night Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
Retroactive Curated by Julian Laffan Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
2007 Them, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra, curated by Steven Zagala
Myself by Myself Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
The Mosman Art Prize Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Prometheus Visual Arts Award, All Saints Anglican School, Merrimac, Queensland
2006 Who cares? Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
Landscape Show Legge Gallery, Sydney
2005 Muswellbrook Open Art Prize Muswellbrook Regional Arts centre, NSW
Legge Gallery at Big Star Gallery, Adelaide
Deep Purple, Manning Clark House, Canberra, curated by Rosalind Drummond,
Summer Show, Legge Gallery, Sydney
2004 Del Kathryn Barton, Cathy Blanchflower, Derek O’Connor, Monika Tichacek, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
Melbourne Art Fair 2004 Karen Woodbury & Legge Gallery, Royal exhibition Building, Melbourne
2003 Collage Legge Gallery, Sydney
Scratch the Surface-Recent Portraiture Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
Summer Show Legge Gallery, Sydney
SHIT: Vivienne Binns in collaboration with Derek O’Connor & Geoff Newtown, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
2002 It's a beautiful day: New Painting in Australia 2, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, AGNSW, Sydney
Melbourne Art Fair 2002, Legge Gallery, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
The Redlands Westpac Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
Summer Show Legge Gallery, Sydney
2001 Coincidence: an exhibition of abstract painting: curated by Geoff Newton, Spiral Arm Gallery, Canberra
Legge Gallery Artists Use Atelier Artists' Acrylics Legge Gallery, Sydney
2000 On the brink: abstraction of the 90s curated by Kelly Gellatly, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne
Seventh Australian Contemporary Art Fair Legge Gallery, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Ten Years Legge Gallery, Sydney
Summer Exhibition Legge Gallery, Sydney
1999 Tenants Show Artspace 71, Kingston, Canberra
Contemporary Australian Paintings from the Allen Allen & Hemsley Collection UTS Sydney
Group Show Legge Gallery, Sydney
Show (with Peter Vandermark) Artspace 71, Canberra
10th Summer Exhibition Legge Gallery, Sydney
Duo (with John Vella) Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
1998 Tenants Show, Spiral Arm Gallery, Canberra
Go Home, There’s Nothing to See, Spiral Arm Gallery, Canberra
Sixth Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Christmas Show Legge Gallery, Sydney
1997 Living with Art Spiral Arm Gallery, Canberra
Recent Acquisitions National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Alumni Painting Show, Photospace, Canberra School of Art, Canberra
Sanguine Valediction Legge Gallery, Sydney
Wer Schutzt un Fuor HANSI? Kunstwerk Kard, Cologne Art Fair 1997, Germany
First Love: Paintings by Derek O'Connor and Robert Cleworth Legge Gallery, Sydney
1996 Dirty Surface Stripp Gallery, Melbourne
Snow Stripp Gallery, Melbourne
Restless and Messy curated by Bala Starr, Contemporary Arts Centre South Australia, Adelaide
Acquisitions of Contemporary Australian Art National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
First Love: Paintings by Robert Cleworth and Derek O’Connor Legge Gallery, Sydney
Fifth Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Abstraction Now curated by Simeon Kronenberg, touring exhibition
Fuss, Gallery Constantinople, Queanbeyan
1995 Drawings Part B Legge Gallery, Sydney
Carlos Raz Studio 12, 200 Gertrude Street, Melbourne
Chameleon: A Decade Contemporary Art Services Tasmania, Long Gallery, Hobart
The Derwent Collection: Australian Art of the 1980s and 1990s Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Summer Exhibition Legge Gallery, Sydney
1994 Zac Patafta 108 Gertrude Street, Melbourne
Fourth Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Artists Don’t Believe in Sanity Clause Legge Gallery, Sydney
1993 Moet & Chandon Touring Exhibition
A Show of Strength Dick Bett Gallery, Tasmania
Canberra Contemporary Art Fair Australian National University Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra
The Allen Allen and Hemsley Collection Westpac Gallery, Melbourne
Tempest Legge Gallery, Sydney
1991 When Love Blooms Legge Gallery, Sydney
Works On Paper Legge Gallery, Sydney
Group of Five Legge Gallery, Sydney
1990 Works from the Studios Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
Sue Andrews, Derek O'Connor, Glenn Murray Legge Gallery, Sydney
1989 Eastern States, Western States Beach Gallery, Perth
1988 Persistent Memories EMR Gallery, Sydney
Grants and Awards
2017 Megalo Artist in Residence program, Megalo, Canberra
2007 Capital Arts Patrons Organisation (CAPO) Fellowship, Canberra
2003 Canberra Contemporary Art Space Inaugural Art Prize
1998 Department of Arts and Culture A.C.T Individual Artist Grant, Studio Residency, Cologne, Germany
1995 Pat Corrigan award for exhibition development
1992 Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board Individual Arts Grant
1990 Capital Arts Patrons Organisation Individual Arts Grant
1988 Lend Lease Painting Award
Collections
ABN AMRO, Renzo Piano Building, Sydney
Allens Arthur Robinson Sydney
Art and Australia
Artbank
Art Gallery of Ballarat
Austcorp
Australian War Memorial
Canberra Museum and Art Gallery
Derwent Collection, Hobart
Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
Pan Pacific Collection
RACV Collection, Melbourne
Renzo Piano Building, Sydney
USB, Sydney
Wollongong University Gallery of Art, Sydney
Tamworth Regional Gallery
Bibliography
2017 Broker, David: He’s a Tourist, Canberra Contemporary Art Space essay
2017 Capezio, Oskar: At Home He’s a Tourist Art Almanac, November 2017
2014 Maloon, Terrance: exhibition catalogue Velocity
2010 Clark, Deborah: exhibition catalogue Something in the Air - collage and Assemblage
Canberra region.
2009 Derek O’Connor, Galleries, Box Office The Age Magazine, Issue #53 March p 8
Hetherington, S: Derek O’Connor, Art World, Issue 7 Feb/Mar, pp 122-125
Broker, D and Norris, Y: Artnotes, Art Monthly Australia, March # 217, p 55
Nelson, R: Aesthetic appetite for eating their art out, The Age, 11 March
Grishin, S: Bold Interventions, The Canberra Times, May 2009
Ulhman, P: Derek O’Connor, catalogue essay, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
Gates, M: Lost in a Kiss , Poulos, Maia: Some Thoughts on Collage
McDonald, Ewan: Embracing Paining, exhibition catalogue essay for commissioned installation at Allens, Arthur Robinson,
Deutsche Bank Building, Sydney
2008 Holt, M: Marie Hagerty and Derek O’Connor in Canberra, Art Monthly Australia, Dec 2007-Feb 2008, pp 15-18
Clarke. D: 25th CAPO Auction, Canberra, p61
Clarke, D: Reflections: Canberra Museum and Gallery Collection p 57
2007 Grishin, S: Unbridled, hedonistic joy of paint, The Canberra Times 20/11/2007
Lakin, S: Them, Exhibition Review, Photofile #79
Van Veen, M: Derek O’Connor 10 Year Selection, Art World, Issue 7 February/March, pp.122-125
2006 Hansen, D: Ominous Modernists, Sightlines, The Age, 24 Nov
Bossy, J: Derek O’Connor Paintings 2006, exhibition catalogue, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
2005 Grishin, Sasha: Inner strength on display, The Canberra Times 29/9/2005
2004 Backhouse, M: Abstract Landscapes, Around the Galleries, A2, The Age, 27 Nov
Nichols, Jonathon: Derek O’Connor, Catalogue essay
2003 Foster, Ernest: A Public of Individuals No.4 Feb-Apr 2003
Fern, L.: People at Play, the Sydney Morning Herald, 23 March
Chapman, Chris: Bette Davis eyes, Art Monthly, no.162 August
Ashcroft, Michael: Ugly Paintings Are Always Framed, Muse, Dec/Jan 03/04 Issue
Byrne, Lisa: Catalogue essay, SHIT, Vivienne Binns, Nov-Dec
Gates, Merryn: Catalogue essay, SHIT, Vivienne Binns, Nov-Dec
Lamark, Richard: A Public of Individuals No.4 Feb-Apr 2003
2002 McAuliff,C and Starr, B: It’s a Beautiful Day: New Painting in Australia 2, exhibition catalogue,
Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne touring the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Loxley, Anne: A Day in the Domain, The Sydney Morning Herald 27/11/2002
2001 ABC: Coast to Coast, television arts program, August
1996 Malone, Gavin: Restless and Messy, Artlink, vol. 17, no. 1
King, N. and Kronenberg, S.: Abstraction Now, exhibition catalogue, Geelong Art Gallery
Butterfield, B: Messy and Restless, Contemporary Art Centre of SA, db Magazine issue #131, South Australia
O’Donall, S: Restless and Messy, exhibition catalogue, Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia
1995 Hammond, V: Chameleon: A Decade, exhibition catalogue, Contemporary Art Services, Tasmania, Hobart
Hammond, V.:The Derwent Collection: Australian Art of the 1980s and 1990s Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
1994 Cato, N. (Ed): Fourth Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Australian Commercial Galleries Association, Melbourne
1993 Heathcote, Christopher: Moet & Chandon, review, The Age
Heathcote, Christopher: Contemporary Australian Paintings, The Age
Annear, Judy: Moet & Chandon Touring Exhibition, catalogue, Melbourne
Mendelssohn, Joanna: Popping the Cork, The Bulletin, March
1990 Haynes, Peter: The Land Sited, Unreal City, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, no.1
Haynes, Peter: Reviews, Art Monthly, September 1990
Professional Activities
Currently employed Part Time National Gallery of Australia, Installations Department
Part-time lecturer at the Canberra School of Art, Core/Complimentary Studies, 1998-9
Artist in residence ANU School of Art 2007