The World Today - Tuesday, 28 March , 2006 12:38:00
Reporter: Dhana Quinn
KAREN PERCY: To the art world, where the tributes are coming out today for Pro Hart, the colourful outback artist who died in his home at Broken Hill in the early hours of this morning.
Fellow artist, Jack Absalom, has described the 77-year-old as "the most generous ever known".
Pro Hart became a household name in Australia because of his unconventional and diverse methods of painting.
Dhana Quinn compiled this report.
DHANA QUINN: Pro Hart started sketching while working underground as a miner in Broken Hill.
He used it as a creative outlet to help keep him sane, but he soon moved above ground to paint full-time.
Jack Absalom, one of the two remaining Brushmen of the Bush told local ABC radio in Broken Hill of his friend's rough beginnings as an artist.
JACK ABSALOM: He had no money at the start of this and his wife, Raylee, a lot of people don't realise this, she walked the streets of Broken Hill trying to get his postcards and that into the shops.
Now for God's sake, you don't start off any lower than that.
DHANA QUINN: The two, along with other local artists formed the Brushmen of the Bush in the 1970s, and exhibited their work around the world.
Pro Hart told ABC radio in 1982 that all the inspiration he needed could be found in Broken Hill.
PRO HART (archive audio): Miles of it here mate, plenty of it. There's er, I reckon I'd never get to the end of inspiration from the local scene, the mines, not only that, I've got all the old drawings I done underground and apart from that I still get out in the bush.
I just been up at Noosa Heads painting race meetings and so I'm getting ideas all over the place.
DHANA QUINN: Local State member, Peter Black, says Pro Hart's death is a huge loss to Broken Hill.
He remembers the man who used his famous unconventional methods in many settings.
PETER BLACK: The story goes that there's the barbecue in the backyard and my wife had put out a linen tablecloth on one of the tables and here was Pro frantically scrubbling over the linen table cloth.
What was being done, I'd already had the newly ensconced bishop of Forbes also in the backyard, so Pro was trying to convince the bishop that people from out of space had landed in space ships in his backyard and all sorts of things and I think the bishop was trying to argue that God had put them there, and I'm not quite sure where the conversation went to.
DHANA QUINN: Pro Hart mainly worked in oils and acrylics and used offbeat methods to create his work, once firing paint out of a cannon onto canvas.
His son John says his father had a magical touch, but his true gift was his work appealed to a wide range of people.
JOHN HART: I think he was an icon of Australian popular culture. Even with the carpet ads, he was painting a dragonfly on them, for him it was just another avenue to make art.
DHANA QUINN: What do you think his legacy will be?
JOHN HART: He's left a dent, he's left a dent in the art world and I think it'll be up to art historians I think to start looking and reviewing and just working out where to fit Dad within art history because he's, in a way, he was always outside the official art academy in Australia.
I mean in the sixties when his little narrative bush scenes were being exhibited, that was sort of when modernism and abstract and that was very much in vogue and so he's always sort of been outside the established view, yet wildly popular with just the general public.
DHANA QUINN: Fellow artist, Jack Absalom, say Pro Hart will not only be remembered for his work, but also his kind spirit.
JACK ABSALOM: Pro will always be known for his generosity. He was the most generous person you've ever known. I don't know of any person that ever asked Pro for help ? meaning you know, could you give me a painting to raise money for the heart foundation or the flying doctor or whatever it was ? I don't ever remember hearing one that was ever refused.
KAREN PERCY: Fellow outback artist, Jack Absalom, ending Dhana Quinn's report.
His work was amazing and very different.
Reporter: Dhana Quinn
KAREN PERCY: To the art world, where the tributes are coming out today for Pro Hart, the colourful outback artist who died in his home at Broken Hill in the early hours of this morning.
Fellow artist, Jack Absalom, has described the 77-year-old as "the most generous ever known".
Pro Hart became a household name in Australia because of his unconventional and diverse methods of painting.
Dhana Quinn compiled this report.
DHANA QUINN: Pro Hart started sketching while working underground as a miner in Broken Hill.
He used it as a creative outlet to help keep him sane, but he soon moved above ground to paint full-time.
Jack Absalom, one of the two remaining Brushmen of the Bush told local ABC radio in Broken Hill of his friend's rough beginnings as an artist.
JACK ABSALOM: He had no money at the start of this and his wife, Raylee, a lot of people don't realise this, she walked the streets of Broken Hill trying to get his postcards and that into the shops.
Now for God's sake, you don't start off any lower than that.
DHANA QUINN: The two, along with other local artists formed the Brushmen of the Bush in the 1970s, and exhibited their work around the world.
Pro Hart told ABC radio in 1982 that all the inspiration he needed could be found in Broken Hill.
PRO HART (archive audio): Miles of it here mate, plenty of it. There's er, I reckon I'd never get to the end of inspiration from the local scene, the mines, not only that, I've got all the old drawings I done underground and apart from that I still get out in the bush.
I just been up at Noosa Heads painting race meetings and so I'm getting ideas all over the place.
DHANA QUINN: Local State member, Peter Black, says Pro Hart's death is a huge loss to Broken Hill.
He remembers the man who used his famous unconventional methods in many settings.
PETER BLACK: The story goes that there's the barbecue in the backyard and my wife had put out a linen tablecloth on one of the tables and here was Pro frantically scrubbling over the linen table cloth.
What was being done, I'd already had the newly ensconced bishop of Forbes also in the backyard, so Pro was trying to convince the bishop that people from out of space had landed in space ships in his backyard and all sorts of things and I think the bishop was trying to argue that God had put them there, and I'm not quite sure where the conversation went to.
DHANA QUINN: Pro Hart mainly worked in oils and acrylics and used offbeat methods to create his work, once firing paint out of a cannon onto canvas.
His son John says his father had a magical touch, but his true gift was his work appealed to a wide range of people.
JOHN HART: I think he was an icon of Australian popular culture. Even with the carpet ads, he was painting a dragonfly on them, for him it was just another avenue to make art.
DHANA QUINN: What do you think his legacy will be?
JOHN HART: He's left a dent, he's left a dent in the art world and I think it'll be up to art historians I think to start looking and reviewing and just working out where to fit Dad within art history because he's, in a way, he was always outside the official art academy in Australia.
I mean in the sixties when his little narrative bush scenes were being exhibited, that was sort of when modernism and abstract and that was very much in vogue and so he's always sort of been outside the established view, yet wildly popular with just the general public.
DHANA QUINN: Fellow artist, Jack Absalom, say Pro Hart will not only be remembered for his work, but also his kind spirit.
JACK ABSALOM: Pro will always be known for his generosity. He was the most generous person you've ever known. I don't know of any person that ever asked Pro for help ? meaning you know, could you give me a painting to raise money for the heart foundation or the flying doctor or whatever it was ? I don't ever remember hearing one that was ever refused.
KAREN PERCY: Fellow outback artist, Jack Absalom, ending Dhana Quinn's report.
His work was amazing and very different.
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