Ottavio Otto Boron

BORN 1935 Italy

STUDIES

National Gallery of Victoria

Background

Ottavio-Otto Boron was born in the former Italian city of Fiume. He arrived in Melbourne late 1959. With a strong tendency for drawing since a very young age, he tackled his first oil painting at the age of 15.

In 1962 he joined the National Gallery of Victoria life drawing classes under Ian Armstrong and Mark Clark, the schoolmaster at that time was the late John Brack.

In 1967 Otto was employed by Channel - 9 Melbourne as a scenic artist, and in 1970 he was offered employment at Channel 2 at Ripponlea, also as a scenic artist. In the 18 years of scenic art work Otto gained enormous experience in working on large- scale backdrops and also a wide spectrum of techniques in painting through imitating old and modern masters, but his approach to art is very much self-taught.

EXHIBITIONS

2010 Exhibited at Melbourne Affordable Art – Exhibition Building
2008 “Collectors’ Exhibition” Contemporary Art Society, Melbourne
2008 “Contemporary Art Society Annual Exhibition”, Melbourne
2006 “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston Vic.
2006 “Salon Des Refuses” (Alternative Archibald Prize) S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2006 “Collectors’ Exhibition” Contemporary Art Society, Melbourne
2005 “Road to Melbourne” Blue Dot Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2005 “Close but not Guitar” Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston Vic.
2005 “Salon Des Refuses” (Alternative Archibald Prize) S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2005 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
2005 “Collectors’ Exhibition” Contemporary Art Society, Melbourne
2004 “Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Queensland”
2004 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
2003 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
2000 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
2000 “Royal Art Society of NSW – Sydney”
1996 “Royal Overseas League” London
1995 “Hors Concours” Royal Overseas League AMP Building, Melbourne
1994 “ Two Decades” Eltham Wiregrass Gallery, Eltham-Melbourne
1983 “Local Scene II” The McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin-Melbourne
1982 “The Heritage Art Exhibition” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
1981 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
1978 “The overseas born artist” Caulfield Arts Centre, Melbourne
1978 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
1977 “Artist of the Year Award” Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 Cambridge Studio Gallery, Collingwood
2009 Leongatha Art Society Gallery, Leongatha
2008 Metropolis Gallery, Geelong
2008 Meeniyan Gallery, Meeniyan, Gippsland
2008 Without Pier Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Richmond Library, Melbourne
2006 Amanda Adams Auctions “Fabulous Figures” Melbourne
2005 Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston-Melbourne
2003 Custom Wharf Gallery, Williamston, Melbourne
2002 Wise Possum Gallery, Melbourne
1998 Cato Gallery, Victorian Artists Society, Melbourne
1989 Manyung Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vic
1987 Manyung Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vic
1984 Manyung Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vi
1980 Chameleon Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vic
1978 Chameleon Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vic
1977 Chameleon Gallery, Mt. Eliza, Vic
1976 Peninsula Gallery, Portsea Vic
1975 Peninsula Gallery, Portsea, Vic
1974 Peninsula Gallery, Portsea, Vic
1973 Peninsula Gallery, Portsea, Vic

AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS

The Omega Contemporary Award
The Norman Kaye Memorial Medallion V.A.S. 2x
Artist of the Year Award V.A.S. 1998, 2005
The Stanthorpe Regional Gallery Acquisitive Award
Selected “Salon des Refuses” (Alternative Archibald Prize) 2005
Selected “Salon des Refuses” (Alternative Archibald Prize) 2006
Undine Award V.A.S. Autumn Exhibition 2006
Awarded at Contemporary Art Society 2007

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rural Dwellings – Gippsland and Beyond
O.O. Boron – Rodney Williams
Artists and Galleries of Australia, Max Germaine, 1990 Volume 1&2, 3rd edition
Selected Contemporary Australian Artists, Michael Berry, 2003
Craftsmen Press, Sydney. 1990. Page 68
Australian Art Sales Digest
Featured in the National TV ABC Program “Art Nation” October 2010
Represented at: Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, Qld
Shire of Diamond Valley, Port Phillip Contemporary Visual Art Collection
Omega Contemporary Collection

Awards and commendations from artists and art critics such as

Mr. Alan McCulloch
Sir William Dargie
Professor Bernard Smith
Mr. Raymond Francis
Mr. CPA Hos
Dr. Brian Kennedy
Prof. Domenico de Clario
Mr. Clifton Pugh
Mr. Phillip Bacon
The Hon. A. A. Staley
Mr. Geoff Makin
Dr. Jack Hibbard
Bruno Leti