Forever Drawing
FURLONGER, Joseph Maxwell. B. 1952 Cairns, Australia
He remembers large sheets of butchers’ paper that were deployed to keep his active mind occupied as a small boy. Rainy days spent hunched at these blank sheets were when he’d draw to stay out of trouble. The act captivated him then as it still does. Young working class boys in suburban Brisbane were not supposed to be draughtsmen nor grow up to be the leading landscape painters of their generation in a nation that has arguably led that form globally since the 1960s. Nor were these lads meant to become art dealers. Ray Hughes was the son of modest, hardworking shop keepers in Kedron, a hardscrabble, proud suburb in outer Brisbane. He was supposed to be a school teacher but was side-tracked at training college by a lecturer who clearly harboured a passion that burned within. Soon Hughes had determined that he would open an art gallery and by the end of its first decade he would be exhibiting a fledgling William Robinson and by the middle of the next, a young Joe Furlonger would exhibit his first works there. Furlonger and Robinson remained close friends and colleagues until the master of the Creation Landscape died in August, 2025.
That first suite in the Red Hill Gallery was of brave, prodigious depictions of Fishermen on wallpaper that had been discarded by the former owners of the industrial site where he had a studio mounted to board with glue. That exhibition in 1985, 40 years ago of raw but venerable images of figures quite unlike any that have appeared in his work since but which are unmistakably his was only the first confident marks on a big sheet of paper that has been a career that has never been presumptuous and always about the meditative act of impulsive depiction with a line as gentle as the artist’s manner.
Furlonger lives and works in Samford, North-West of Brisbane, Australia.
Milestones
1985
First Exhibition Furlonger had worked on fishing boats in North Queensland. After several visits to Ray Hughes Gallery without success in getting an exhibition, Hughes who liked the line but was unconvinced by the generic or dirivitive figuration suggested that the artist paint what he knew or what he did. The exhibition that was presented, Fishermen was very much in that vein. It led into the bathers and figures at play in the surf that took shape in the later 1980s and spoke of his life in the waves as a surfer in the Gold Coast. Only very rarely would Furlonger's work veer from life and even then some of the religious forms, such as his Madonna and Child suite or the Adam and Eve triptych that remains one of his unsung masterpieces, were depictions of family life.
1988
Wins the Moet & Chandon Prize Discover the beauty and creativity of Joe Furlonger's collage art, which combines various materials and textures to create stunning and unique works of art. Each piece tells a story that will inspire and delight you.
1994
Travels to Papua New Guinea Experience the energy and vibrancy of Joe Furlonger's street art, which transforms public spaces into colorful and thought-provoking canvases. Each piece is a bold and powerful expression of the artist's vision.
1995
Residency in Vietnam Step into a world of art books that showcase Joe Furlonger's works and creative process. Each book is a visual journey that will transport you to different worlds and perspectives.
1998
First China visit with Ray Hughes Looking for professional advice on art selection, investment, or collection management? Joe Furlonger offers art consulting services to help you make informed decisions and maximize your art experience.
2000
Rainy Days on Moreton Bay Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.
2003
Arcadia Valley Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.
2004
Paris / Berlin Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.
2007
Showing and painting in China Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.
2008
Sellout in New Zealand Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.
2015
Closure of The Hughes Gallery Want to immerse yourself in the world of art and culture? Joe Furlonger organizes and participates in various art events, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate creativity and diversity.