Richard Manning completed a Diploma of Fine Art at Monash Caulfield in 1984 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Electronic Design and Interactive Media at RMIT, Melbourne in 2002.
Richard is an Australian artist working with the landscape as his central motif, most particularly, the coastal environment, the intersection of land and sea, earth and water.
Richard began study in Fine Art when working as a MFB firefighter. Swapping shifts with fellow firefighters allowed him to study full time and complete his diploma of fine art in 1984 majoring in printmaking. Richard, determined to incorporate his art practice with his work obligations, painted the United Firefighters Union Banner (funded by the Australia Council) at the Victorian Trades Hall Council Arts Workshop in 1987. The banner is still in regular use by the union.
After spending a decade as a Firefighter Richard took up opportunities in public art. Highlights include; a residency at The Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament (CICD); being artist in residence at the Melbourne Remand Centre in 1991; curating one of the first NGV Access Gallery exhibitions, Inside, Outside showcasing work by Victorian prisoners and guest curating another NGV Access Gallery exhibition titled Theoretical Vogueing. In 1999 Richard formed Glass Street gallery with co-director Mary-Ann Manning and worked closely with the Melbourne / North Melbourne artistic community to host a diverse catalogue of exhibitions and performances with local and international artists over a three year period.
Richard maintains strong links with his location and environment actively seeking out proximity to the natural world. This immersion of himself in his immediate environment has been a characteristic of his work that previously focused on inner city Melbourne extending to rural and coastal Victoria. The Great Ocean Road is the environment predominately explored in his current work. Richard now concentrates exclusively on his painting practice working from his Vale Street St Kilda studio to further develop his vision and technique.
Richard has exhibited his paintings widely having had nine solo exhibitions, including a major show at Gippsland Regional Gallery, Sale, and has participated in several group exhibitions. His work is collected privately both in Australia and internationally and forms part of the collection of a number of public organisations.
Solo exhibitions
2021 | QUIET, Dawn over Kati Thanda, sunset from St Kilda Qdos arts Lorne Painting from experience, Richard presents a series of reflective observations from a dawn flight over Kati Thanda floodwaters (Lake Eyre) in 2019 and sunsets over Port Phillip bay during the 2020 lockdown. This body of work responds to the awe inspiring quiet of the moment when focusing on these vast horizons. |
2018 | Qdos Arts Lorne PAUSE 'These paintings are my constants, my way of looking closer at the moments that have inspired me over time, they are my pause button in my everyday life' - Richard Manning Based on reality and then evolved into paintings with a surface both beautiful and intricate, Richard Manning is not afraid to follow his instinct, to take risks with paint and medium, leaving traces of layers and remnants of marks to describe a romantic connection to the ocean, rivers and sky of the south west coast. Each painting begins with a vision, and often a story, that drives the progression through the months it takes to complete a work. Working on more than one painting at a time this exhibition is the result of two years work in the studio. |
2016 | Landscape with Donkey, Qdos Arts Lorne 30 January to 8 February |
2015 | Vivid .... new works at QDOS ARTS and Sculpture Park Allenvale Road Lorne 25 January to 7 February |
2013 | Vivid Dark... new works at Carbon Black Gallery 188 High Street Prahran 25 April - 12 May 2013 |
2003 | Indecision..A journey from glass street to the docklands and back again GLASS STREET GALLERY North Melbourne |
2000 | I used to live at Mt.Best...Now I live here PUBLIC OFFICE stairwell gallery, Dudley Street West Melbourne |
1998 | Same place...different feeling GIPPSLAND REGIONAL GALLERY, Sale. |
1996 | Wind Rain and Relatives Steps Gallery, Carlton |
1992 | Outside Inside paintings for the Melbourne remand centre, fringe studios Brunswick Street Fitzroy. |
Selected group exhibitions/prizes
2016 | Vale Street Artists, Brightspace, Martin Street, St Kilda. 2 - 18 June |
2016 | WYNDHAM ART PRIZE 2016, with work Landscape with Donkey - homecoming selected for the Wyndham Art Prize exhibition. 17 March to 1 May |
2013 | Creative SustainAbility, Gallery at St Kilda Town Hall |
2013 | Vale street artists, exhibition at the Vale street studios of work by resident artists, including Despa Hondros, Gavin Brown, Hans Schiebold, Lewis Miller, Meridith Whiting, Paul Newcombe, Richard Manning, Suzanne Playfoot, Wendy Grace |
2008 | One Million Observations commissioned by the City of Melbourne. A video installation for the foyer of the Artshouse North Melbourne town hall with Josephine Fagan |
2006 | One million trams, Artshouse North Melbourne |
2002 | Ideas/in/transition, all actions have a consequence in the 21st century city |
1999 | North Arts a4 show Supper room North Melbourne Town Hall |
1988 | Works, an exhibition of union banners at the Museum Victoria |
Projects
1992 | Melbourne Remand Centre |
1991 | Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament banner project. |
1987 | United Firefighters Union Banner based around historic and current themes, still in active service. |
Collections
Epworth Hospital Collection
United Firefighters Union, UFU Brunswick Street Fitzroy
Victorian Government, Melbourne Remand Centre, Spencer Street Melbourne
Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament, Victorian Trades Hall Council
The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Collection
The Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria, Palmerston Street Carlton