Ian Friend

1951 | born UK, lives QLD

From his studio in Ipswich, Queensland, Ian Friend creates subtle and evocative works on paper using pigment, ink and gouache. With a fascination for alchemy between materials and an obsession with hand-made art papers, sourced worldwide, Friend’s works are made from the finest materials and developed using techniques which have been refined over many decades. Though materiality is an integral part of his practice, his works also reflect a rich engagement with jazz, poetry and architecture. Friend has developed work in response to contemporary poet Jeremy Prynne, and with composer Martin Freidel, among others.

Born in Eastbourne, England, Friend migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1985 and has since lectured in drawing and painting in several Australian universities while maintaining his art practice and exhibiting in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Friend is represented in numerous international public collections, among them The British Museum and Tate Gallery, London, Arts Council of Great Britain. Within Australia he is represented at the Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston plus a host of university and regional galleries around the country.

AVAILABLE WORKS

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Ian Friend

born 1951, United Kingdom, arrived Australia 1986

QUALIFICATIONS

1973–75     Higher Diploma of Fine Art (Slade School of
Fine Art, University College, London, England)

1970–73     Diploma in Art and Design (Birmingham
College of Art, England)

1969–70     Pre Diploma Foundation Year (Exeter College
of Art, England)

COLLECTIONS

The British Museum, London

Tate Gallery, London

Arts Council of Great Britain, London

Cleveland Museums Service, UK

Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St Louis, USA

Australian War Memorial, Canberra

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston

Australian Embassy, Washington DC

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW

New England Regional Art Museum, NSW

Deakin University Library, Melbourne

La Trobe University Gallery, Melbourne

Monash University Gallery, Melbourne

Griffith University, Queensland

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane

University College of Central Queensland, Rockhampton

University of Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

University of Tasmania, Hobart

University of Western Australia, Perth

Artbank, Sydney

Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth

Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Queensland

Brisbane Boys Grammar School, Brisbane

Geelong Grammar School, Victoria

The Hutchins Foundation, Hobart

Australian Paper collection