James Fardoulys: A Queensland Naive Artist

James Fardoulys: A Queensland Naive Artist

Leonard Brown, Denis A Conomos, Glenn R Cooke and Melina Mallos
80 pages paperback colour and black-and-white illustrations

James Fardoulys (1900–75) was born in Kythera in Greece, and came to Australia in 1914. After working in various jobs throughout Queensland — including as a member of a performance troupe, a cafe owner and a taxidriver — he took up painting after his retirement. Naive art became generally appreciated throughout Australia from the early 1960s, and Fardoulys’s work was enthusiastically promoted by local art critic Dr Gertrude Langer and artist Roy Churcher. During his short burst of activity, Fardoulys became one of the most prominent and widely appreciated naive painters in Australia.

This publication, the first on the artist, chronicles his life and career. Writers include artist Leonard Brown on the Brisbane art scene in the 1960s, and Denis Conomos on Kytherian migration to Queensland, as well exhibition curator Glenn Cooke (Research Curator, Queensland Heritage). Published by the Queensland Art Gallery for the exhibition James Fardoulys: A Queensland Naive Artist (27 March – 20 June 2010).

RRP: $24.95