Bio

Born 1972, Brisbane
Lives and works in Byron Bay

“When you start working, everybody is in your studio - the past, your friends, enemies, the art world and above all, your own ideas - all are there. But as you continue painting, they start leaving one by one and you are left completely alone. Then, if you’re lucky, even you leave.”

John Cage said this in 1965 and for me it is a very accurate description of my studio practice and my process of painting. Specifically, it’s the balancing act between the known and the unknown, the conscious and the subconscious, and most importantly, when to be in control and conversely when to be reckless and abandon the rational you, in the hope of making or seeing something you haven’t before. It’s a thing that can exist on its own, beyond me, born through invention, an image that can only be arrived at by painting towards it, so it has its own past and a feeling that the image has lived.

Strictly speaking, I’m neither a figurative nor an abstract painter and I find the space between figurative and non-figurative art an exhilarating place to work. I’m drawn to images that possess a mystery that hides things, being out of focus and relying more on evocation than a simple recognition. The figure and the landscape are both elements present in my work, evidenced or acknowledged through colour and form, but most importantly through a dynamic or force. By this, I mean dealing with movement and magnetism, the pulls between one form or another and what the spaces between and around this pull look like. It’s the abstraction of forces and the residue or traces of these forms that survive the many erasures that become the elements of the painting. The problem I see, for me, is not the object in the painting but the painting as object.

I draw a lot with the paint, either with a brush, or direct from the tube. Drawing is an important element in my overall process. Often the forms I begin with are derived from these, which now, working and living in Northern NSW, are concerned with the landscape around me. The most important element I have taken from drawing is that of erasure. It is to a large extent the crux of my process. Once I reach a certain point in the painting, it becomes more about taking things out - erasing - than putting things in. Remembering though, and I am learning this, to take things out is to actually put things in. It’s an instinctual exercise of exposing and revealing and the accompanying high of discovery of finding the
hidden. It’s about finishing and leaving the image unsettled, caught in its moment like it has won its freedom, and pregnant with possibility for the next picture. Often, I feel, to over-finish or explain a painting is to rob it of its power and potential.

My studio is never silent, everything is accompanied by music. It intimately influences my work. Almost all my titles are derived from lyrics or song titles that have influenced that work and the psychological overtones the music has imbued on the work. It’s never arbitrary. At some stage during the painting process, early or late, a lyric or song will attach itself through its relevance to me and my life, or through the process of making the image it becomes relevant. It sets the rhythm by which the thing is made and it changes with each painting. It’s autobiographical, reflecting in the image, becoming my mix tape, the soundtrack to my life. This is where the contradiction lies, in as much as the image needs to exist independently and reflect its own history or personality for me, but there must still be a recognition of self in the picture made from my sensations. When I leave the studio, I have left there a person or something totemic, an organic thing that can lead its own life, that doesn’t need me anymore, or my thoughts about it. A painting is a painting.”


EDUCATION

1989 - 1992 Bachelor Visual Arts, Griffith University, Brisbane
1990 Julian Ashton Art School Sydney
1986 - 1996 Studied with David Paulson, Brisbane (with the exception of 1990)


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 Remain in Light, Fox Jensen Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2021 Home Made, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne (March)
2019 Almost With You, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2017 To Live is to Fly, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2016 Talking to a Stranger, Red Dot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore
2015 Todd Hunter, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2014 Drawings, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2013 Doused, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2013 Sway, Scott Livesey Galleries OFFSITE at Mary Place Gallery, Paddington
2012 Country Feedback, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
2011 Small Work, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Melbourne Art Fair, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Love Buzz, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2009 In Bloom, Gallery 2, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2009 Recent Paintings, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2008 Strange Weather, BMG Gallery, Adelaide
2008 This Perfect Day, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2007 All Times Through Paradise, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2006 Just Like the Night, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2006 BMG Gallery, Adelaide
2005 Recent Paintings, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2004 Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
2004 Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2003 Recent Paintings, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2002 BMG Art Gallery, Adelaide
2002 Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2001 Art House Gallery, Sydney
2000 BMGArt Gallery, Adelaide
2000 Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
2000 Art House Gallery, Sydney
1999 Art House Gallery, Sydney
1998 Smith and Stoneley on Stratton, Brisbane
1998 Art House Gallery, Sydney
1997 Fortitude Gallery, Brisbane
1996 Fortitude Gallery, Brisbane
1994 The Vine Galleria, Brisbane


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 Raven, Fox Jensen McCrory, Auckland, New Zealand
2018 W.O.P. 2018, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2015 Sydney Contemporary 2015, Scott Livesey Galleries
2015 The Salon, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2014 Twenty Fourteen, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2013 Action/Abstraction, Wangaratta Art Gallery, Wangaratta (current)
2012 Melbourne Art Fair, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2011 Art HK, Hong Kong International Art Fair, Grantpirrie, Sydney
2011 Art for Science, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Wattle: Australian Contemporary Art, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
2010 Todd Hunter & Stelarc, Melbourne Art Fair, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Art HK10, Hong Kong International Art Fair, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
2010 Art of Music, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2009 Salon des Refusés, Wynne Prize, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2008 Fleurieu Art Prize, Fleurieu Biennale, South Australia
2008 Tattersall’s Club Art Prize , Brisbane
2008 Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery
2007 Paddington Landscape Art Prize, Sydney
2007 Tattersall’s Club Art Prize, Brisbane
2007 Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery
2007 Kings School Art Prize, Parramatta, Sydney
2006 Ironic Expressionism, Curator, Andrew Frost, Virginia Wilson Gallery, Sydney
2005 ABN Amro Emerging Artist Award, Sydney
2004 Tattersall’s Club Invitation Art Prize, Brisbane
2003 The Year In Art, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2003 Tattersall’s Club Invitation Art Prize, Brisbane
2002 Twenty Fine Paintings, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2001 Twenty Fine Paintings, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2000 Melbourne Contemporary Art Fair, Melbourne
2000 Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, Sydney
1999 Inaugural Exhibition, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
1999 Inaugural Schools and Universities Prize Exhibition, Schools and Universities Club, Sydney
1998 Flesh: Collections of Sensual & Erotic Art, Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland
1997 Global Art: Australia Beyond, Carpediem Gallery, Thailand
1997 The First Brisbane International Art Fair, Brisbane
1997 Downlands College Art Awards, Toowoomba, Queensland
1996 Preview, Fortitude Gallery, Brisbane
1996 Asia Pacific Hotel Art Fair, Brisbane
1996 Stanthorpe Arts Festival, Stanthorpe, Queensland
1995 Gilchrist Galleries, Brisbane
1995 Churchie Exhibition of Emerging Art, Brisbane
1994 Ten Figurative Artists, Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney
1994 Logan National Art Award, Logan
1993 Rebels Without a Course, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
1993 Believers, Isnt, Brisbane
1993 Griffith University Drawing Exhibition, Brisbane
1992 Final Configuration, Museum of Contemporary Art, Brisbane
1992 Free Trade, Isnt, Brisbane
1992 Art = Aura, Space Plenitude, Brisbane
1991 Three Positions, Space Plenitude, Brisbane


SELECTED AWARDS & PRIZES


2017 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize
2011 Finalist, Fleurieu Art Prize
2009 Salon des Refuses (Wynne Prize)
2009 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize
2008 Finalist, Fleurieu Art Prize
2008 Finalist, Sunshine Coast Art Prize
2007 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize
2007 Finalist, Tattersall’s Art Prize
2007 Finalist, Sunshine Coast Art Prize
2007 Finalist, Kings School Art Prize
2005 Finalist, ABN Amro Emerging Artist Award
2000 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Sydney
1994 Finalist, Logan National Art Award, Logan
1993 Melville Haysom Scholarship, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
1993 Inaugural Griffith University Artistcare Drawing Prize, Griffith University, Brisbane
1993 Best Bachelor of Visual Arts Award, Griffith University, Brisbane


SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2015 Process: Todd Hunter, Artist Profile, issue 32, p. 128-129
2010 Natalie King, Raucous Rock: The Paintings of Todd Hunter, Scott Livesey Galleries catalogue essay for Melbourne Art Fair 2010
2010 Darryn King, Reimaging Music,, DRUM Media, 28 March edition
2010 David Broker, Let’s Get Physical, catalogue essay for Love Buzz
2010 Ashley Crawford, Le Petit Mort, catalogue essay for Love Buzz
2009 Ashley Crawford, “TODD HUNTER: Nailing the Gesture”, Australian Art Collector Issue 48
2009 Ebony Bizys, Betsy Brennan, Artist Profile, Vogue Living, March April
2009 John McDonald, “When Losers are Winners”, Review of Salon des Refuses, March 14
2008 Jena Woodburn, ‘Strange, but True art’, The Independent Weekly, Oct 17-23
2008 Megan Backhouse, Art Around the Galleries, The Age, May 3, 2008
2008 Ashley Crawford, ‘This Perfect Day’ Catalogue Essay, February 08
2007 Le Flaneur, ‘The Beauty of Incomprehension’, August 05,
2006 Ashley Crawford, Preview, Art Collector Magazine, October, Issue 38
2006 Ashley Crawford, (exh. Cat.)“Just Like the Night”, July
2005 Clare Lewis, ‘Recent Paintings’ ( exh. cat.), GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2005 Andrew Frost, ‘Todd, On Bass’ The Art Life, May 11
2004 Annie Leo, ‘Todd Hunter - The Art of Abstraction’, Attitude Magazine, Winter
2004 Megan Morton, ‘Art and Soul’, The Sun Herald Magazine, April 11
2003 Jonathan Turner, ‘In The Flesh’, Blue Magazine, No 45 July
2002 Emma Zakarevicius, ‘Todd Hunter at BMG’, dB Magazine, September 11
2001 Lenny Ann Low. ‘How on Earth’, the Sydney Morning Herald, November 3
2001 John Neylon, ‘Pulsating’, The Adelaide Review, January
2000 Peter Anderson, ‘Regarding the Familiar’, Courier Mail, September
2000 Courtney Kidd, ‘Throwing in the Trowel’, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 11
1997 Thomas Brecelic, Bangkok Post, September 25
1997 Sue Smith, ‘Todd’s new world is looking good’, Courier Mail, June 25
1997 Snapshots, ABC TV, June 24
1996 Chris Worfold, Recent Paintings exhibition Catalogue, Fortitude Gallery, Brisbane
1995 Gravity, Issue3, April
1993 ‘Scholarship Artist Takes up Residency at Gallery’, The Weekend Independent, Ian Howard Artistcare Drawing Prize, catalogue
1993 Pat Hoffe, Final Configuration Exhibition Catalogue, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University


COLLECTIONS

ABN Amro Corporate Collection, Sydney
Art Bank
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
The Adelaide Club Collection, Adelaide
Griffith University Art Gallery Brisbane
The QCL Collection, Queensland
The Alex Mackay Collection, Brisbane
Royal Sydney Golf Club
Hotel CBD, Sydney
The Sangster Collection, NSW
The Julian Ashton Art School, Sydney
Embassy of Switzerland, Bangkok
Embassy of Australia, Bangkok
Corporate Collections; NSW, Victoria, Queensland
Private Collections; Australia, UK, USA, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand