biography
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 had been a brickworks laborer, public servant, ward assistant, tram conductor
and driver, taxi driver and a MFB firefighter. Always in the search for something else
before finding his true vocation and beginning study in Fine Art at Monash Caulfield.
Leading a double life he juggled obligations and swapped shifts with fellow firefighters
to study full time and complete a diploma of fine art.
Richard, determined to incorporate his painting led 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.
In 1990 he resigned from the MFB to pursue opportunities in the area of 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. Richard has worked extensively in the arts industry
including roles with both the NGV and Museum Victoria. 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
explored in this current body of work.
Richard now concentrates exclusively on his practice working from his 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
2018 07.01 - 20.01
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
Collaborative digital large format images with Josephine Fagan
2002 Ideas/in/transition, all actions have a
consequence in the 21st century city
Public Office Stairwell Gallery
video, sound, digital graphics installation)
with Mary-Ann Manning and Clare Hart
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
Artist in Residence, working with inmates
to produce paintings for accommodation units.
Funded by Arts Victoria
1991
Campaign for International Cooperation
and Disarmament banner project. Resident
artist researching history, current membership,
and imagery for themed banner. Funded by
the Australia Council and Victorian Trades Unions
1987
United Firefighters Union Banner
based around historic and current themes,
still in active serice. Painted in the Trades Hall
Arts workshop. Funded by the Australia Council
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
Review
Cliff Burtt visited the studio to preview VIVID DARK and wrote this review posted on the NAVA website and can be found here on the exhibitions page of this website