Joe Blundell was born in London and emigrated to Melbourne in 2008.
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Self-taught as an artist, but with a degree in plant biology Joe is drawn to depictions of nature in his art - sometimes pure landscape and sometimes looking at the interplay between nature and the man-made.
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A feature of Joe’s landscape work is intimate, depictions of nature’s entanglements and the fight for survival.
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Less interested in big vistas and more pre-occupied with the experience of being in the bush his landscape work reflects the complexity he sees in botanical nature.
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A recurring theme in Joe’s work is the concept of renewal in the natural world – the balance of life and death amongst plants and trees.
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Forces of nature which exist independently of humans but are subject to the influence of mankind.
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Joe's landscape paintings have been a finalist and award winner in Australia's leading landscape prizes including The Hadley’s Art Prize and The Paddington Art Prize.
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Joe exhibits regularly in Melbourne and paints from his studio in Swan Street, Richmond.
Selected Exhibitions
2023 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2022 – Paddington Art Prize Defiance Award and Residency winners exhibition, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2019 – Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney [Group]
2019 – Hadley’s Art Prize, Hadley’s Orient Hotel, Hobart [Group]
2019 – Habitats, Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC [SOLO]
2018 – Urban Nature, Hawthorn Gallery, Hawthorn East, VIC [SOLO]
2018 – Impressions of Melbourne, Without Pier Gallery, Cheltenham, VIC [Group]
2017 – Without Pier Gallery, Cheltenham, VIC [Group]
2014 – Artist & Illustrators, Artist of the Year, Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, UK [Group]
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Prizes and Awards
2024 - Fleurieu Art Prize [finalist]
2023 – Calleen Art Prize, [finalist]
2023 - Hawkesbury Art Prize [Commended]
2022 – Calleen Art Prize, [finalist],
2022 - Doug Moran Prize [semi-finalist]
2021 – Paddington Art Prize, Sydney [Winner, Paddington Art Prize Defiance Gallery/ResidencyAward]
2020 - Blacktown City Art Prize [Finalist], Victorian Artist's Society Winter Exhibition [Highly Commended]
2019 – Paddington Art Prize, Sydney [Winner, Honourable Mention Prize]
2019 – Hadley’s Art Prize, Hobart [Finalist]
2019 – Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne [Winner, City of Boroondara Prize]
2019 – Marvellous Melbourne, Its art and soul, Melbourne [Winner, Peoples Choice Award]
2018 – St Kevins Art Show, Melbourne [Winner, Peoples Choice Award]
2017 – Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne [Highly Commended]
2016 – Kennedy Prize, South Australia [Finalist]
2014 – Artist & Illustrators, Artist of the Year Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK [Finalist]
Selected Publications
2019 – Dr Amy Jackett, “Fires, Floods and desert Lakes” Catalogue Essay, Hadley’s Art Prize, July 21, 2019
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Collections
St Vincents Hospital, Wesfarmers, E&P Financial Group.