Bill Leak Australia, 1956-2017
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About Bill Leak
Bill Leak, a portrait painter and caricaturist born in 1956 and received his artistic training at the Julian Ashton art school in the mid-1970s. Initially focused on painting landscapes, Leak left Australia in 1978 to travel and study in Europe. Upon his return in 1982, he held an exhibition in Sydney and worked as a cartoonist at the Bulletin. Leak went on to spend a decade as an illustrator for the Sydney Morning Herald in 1985, before taking up the position of chief political illustrator for The Australian newspaper for another ten years. Over his career, Leak won nine Walkley awards for journalism and nineteen Stanley Awards from the Australian Black and White Artists' Society, including eight Gold Awards for Artist of the Year. Leak was also a finalist for the prestigious Archibald Prize twelve times. His portraits of Don Bradman, Richard Woolcott, and Robert Hughes can be found in the National Portrait Gallery, along with a cartoon of Mark Taylor. Leak's popularity is evidenced by the fact that two portraits of him, one by Josonia Palaitis in 1995 and another by Esther Erlich in 2000, won the Archibald People's Choice Award. Bill Leak passed away in 2017.
According to our records which cover the last 50 years, only 3 works by this artist have been sold by auction, of the 14 works offered for sale.
Bill Leak is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 603
- Germaine, Max. Artists and Galleries of Australia, Volumes 1 & 2, Third Edition. Craftsman Press, Sydney, 1990. Page 400
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
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