John Coburn Australia, 1925-2006
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About John Coburn
Born in Ingham, Queensland in 1925, Coburn studied painting at East Sydney Technical College where he later taught. In 1956 he joined the ABC specialising in set design. He taught art at East Sydney Technical College from 1959–1966 and he later became Head of the National Art School at the College for two years. His painting may be described as tonal abstract expressionist. There is a strong religious theme throughout his work. He has been awarded various Australian art prizes, including the Blake Prize in 1960 and 1977 as co-winner.
John Coburn is one of the most prolific of the artists listed in our database, with the number of works offered for sale by auction since 1969 of 3,094, of which 2,457 (79%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $387,450 for Icon sold by Bonhams in November 2021. This year 21 works have been offered for sale. Works by John Coburn are held by the Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Australia and a further six major public national galleries (see list below).
John Coburn 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 329
- Germaine, Max. Artists and Galleries of Australia, Volumes 1 & 2, Third Edition. Craftsman Press, Sydney, 1990. Page 127
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 297
- Australian Prints + Printmaking, a database listing printmaking artists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region based on the print collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
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.
The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.
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