ADAM RISH BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Born London 1953
Studies: Medicine, University of Tasmania 1972-74, 1976-78;
Printmaking, East Sydney Tech 1979, 1983; Bronze Casting, ESTC
1990-92; Fine Arts, Sydney Uni 1985-91, MFA NSW Uni 1993-95
2009 Marble Carving, Carrara, Italy.
Qualifications - B Med Sc, MB BS, FFMACCS, Dip Sculpture, BA (Hons), MFA
Travelled widely in America, Europe and Asia working at various
periods in Indonesia, India, France, Italy, PNG and Turkey.
Worked as professional artist, environment officer, cosmetic and laser medicine and surgery,
art teacher, film script writer, graphic artist.
EXHIBITIONS
1975 Secheron House Gallery, Hobart
1976 Salamanca Place Gallery, Hobart
1977 Saddlers Court Gallery, Richmond, Tasmania
Hunter Island Gallery, Hobart
1978 Bowerbank Mill Gallery, Deloraine, Tasmania
1979 Rex Irwin Art Dealer, Sydney
Powell St Gallery, Melbourne
Harrington St Gallery, Hobart
1983 Salamanca Place Gallery, Hobart
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1984 Mori Gallery, Sydney
1986 Mori Gallery, Sydney
1987 Solander Gallery, Canberra
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1989 DC Art, Sydney
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Despard St Gallery, Hobart
1990 Solander Gallery, Canberra
DC Art, Sydney
BMG Fine Art, Adelaide
1991 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1992 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
1994 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
1995 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1996 Quadrivium, Sydney
1997 Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
1998 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1999 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2000 Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
2001 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2004 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2007 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2009 Despard St Gallery, Hobart
2010 Australian Galleries, Sydney
2010 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Solander Gallery, Canberra.
2011 Despard Gallery, Hobart
2013 Orange Regional Gallery, Sturt Gallery, Mittagong
2014 Cessnock Regional Gallery, Manning Regional Gallery,
2014 Moree Regional Gallery, Gold Coast City Gallery
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1977 Tasmanian Artists, Tasmania House, London
1980 Queensland Touring Exhibition "Dyeing Fibre and Fabric"
1989 New York International Print Fair
1992 Chicago Alternative Media Artfair
1992 Tamworth Textile Biennale
1994 Kalef-Jackson Gallery, Calgary, Canada
1998 City Of Hobart Art Prize (winner)
2001 Geometry of the Earth, Orange Regional Gallery
2002 Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney
2008 City Of Hobart Art Prize
2008 Australian Galleries, Sydney
2009 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2009 Australian Galleries, Sydney
2011 Adam Rish and Garry Shead “True Fictions from Australia - Sanna historier fran Australien” Grafikens Hus, Mariefred, Sweden.
2012 Moving Parts, curated by Ellie Ray and Astrid Joyce, Devenport Regional Gallery, Tasmania.
COLLECTIONS
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston Museum and Art Gallery, Burnie Art Gallery,
Queensland Art Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW, Australian National Gallery, Shepparton Art Gallery,
Art Bank, VAB of Tasmania Collection, Uni of Tasmania Collection, Glasshouse Gallery, Port Macquarie,
Grafikens Hus, Mariefred, Sweden, Orange Regional Gallery
AWARDS
1979 VAB Special Purpose Grant
1981 VAB Studio Residence, Karolyi Foundation, Vence, France
1984 VAB Studio Residence, Besozzo, Italy
1984 Australian Film Commission, Comedy Fund Grant
1992 VAB Travel Grant
1997 Asialink Residency IKJ Jakarta
1998 City of Hobart Art Prize
FILMOGRAPHY
From A Letter, 16mm col 13 min 1983. Exhibited Melbourne Film
Festival 1983; Adelaide Fringe Festival, 1984
The Corporate Choice 16 mm col 14 min, 1986
The Search For Meaning, 5 min interview with Adam Rish on REVIEW ABC TV 19/9/94
Immunisation: Telling the story, 15min video 1996
Misanthropology: The World Art of Adam Rish, 25min video, Adam Rish in conversation with John McDonald, 2013
BIBLIOGRAPHY(selected)
Max Germaine, Artists of Australia and New Zealand
Craft Australia, Spring 1979
Art and Australia, Dec 1979, Summer 1984, Winter 1989
New Poetry, Vols 26-27
Island magazine - regular graphics contributor
Helix, Dec 1980
Vence Upon A Time Adam Rish and Garry Shead, RYZ Press, 1982
The Age Of Reason Adam Rish, RYZ Press, 1984
Historia Mundi Illustrata Adam Rish, RYZ Press, 1986
The Age, Entertainment Guide, 7/8/89, Emily Gibson, "Artist Finds Inspiration In Irons..."
Tension, Aug 1989, Rex Butler, "Adam Rish: Art as a Spaghetti Western.
The Mercury, 4/11/89, Susan Legett, "Easily led Tex and his history of modern art."
Sunday Tasmanian, 15/11/89, Amanda Leary, "Fancy a toaster or car on your kilim."
Vogue Living, May 1990, Tex Willer, "Artist Adam Rish and the khilims of Konya..."
Sydney Morning Herald, Metro, 24/8/90, Emily Gibson "Art for Neurotics".
Interior Architecture, issue 32, Miscellanea 44, "Adam Rish is a Sydney based painter..."
Sydney Morning Herald, Metro, 13/11/92, Emily Gibson, "Frame Games".
"10th Tamworth Fibre/Textile Biennial 1992" catalogue p29, p48.
"Object", Autumn 1993, Beth Jackson, "From the Floor to the Wall"
"Object", Spring 1993, Adam Rish, "Objection:From the Floor to the Flaw". p49
Misanthropology , Adam Rish, MFA Uni NSW 1995
Contemporary Craft Review 1, 1995 Ed J. Zimmer, Adam Rish "Misanthropology" p92
"Nouveau Rish", 8/8/96 Antonia Williams, Sydney Morning Herald - Domain p5
"Reality forms a pattern in tapestry message rugs" Stephanie King, Financial Review 8-9/11/97
"Devil TV and other black arts" Susan McCulloch, The Weekend Australian Feb 21-22 1998 p2
"Doctor’s script for winning design" Eve Lamb, The Mercury Dec 30 98, p11.
"Cultural weft and warp" Deborah Jones, The Australian, 1 Jan 99, p16.
"Misanthropology - The Art of Adam Rish" Michael Denholm, Art & Australia Sept 2001 pp92-100
"Very Crazy Tapa" Adam Rish and Ruth Hessey, Australian Art Review Jul-Oct 2004, issue 5 pp58-61
"Of Devotion and determination" John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald, Dec 8-9 2007, pp16-17
“Australian Artists in Ceramics” Sasha Grishin, Journal of Australian Ceramics, July 2009 pp 39-41
“Brush With Nature” Melissa Mylchreest, Australian House and Garden, Dec 2009, 203-4
"Favourite Things” Katrina Lobley, Good Weekend 22 May 2010, p31
“Symbolic Exchanges” Prue Gibson, Australian Art Review Nov 10, 2010 issue 25 pp 38-40
“Surgical approach to his sculpture” Emma Hope, The Mercury, Thurs March 31 2011, p13
“Moving Parts” Catalogue 5 May- 10 June, 2012, Ellie Ray and Astrid Joyce, Devenport Regional Gallery, Tasmania.
“In like Flynn to hear Rish” Alan Sisley, Central Western Daily, February 23, 2013, p11
“On Sunday Rish takes the floor”, Brenda Gray, Central Western Daily, March 9, 2013, p9.
“What’s new at the gallery”, Central Western Daily, Feb 11, 2013, p10
“All the fun of the fair”, John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald, April 27-28, 2013, pp12-13 test