Biography
Thornton Walker was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1953, and emigrated to Australia, settling in Melbourne in 1965. He graduated with a Diploma of Art (Printmaking) from the Prahan College of Advanced Education in 1976, and began a Post Graduate Diploma (Printmaking) at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne in 1977. He later deferred these studies to travel and work in Europe and the United States.
His work was included in a Print Council of Australia exhibition which toured France in 1976. Walker’s work continued to be selected for other group exhibitions including: the St Kilda Acquisitive Exhibition, Melbourne (1982, ’84, and ’85); A First Look: The Philip Morris Arts Grant Purchase, Australian National Gallery at the Australian National University, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra (1986); A New Generation 1983 – 1988 The Philip Morris Arts Grant Purchases, Australian National Gallery, Canberra (1988); Recent Australian Painting, Deutscher Fine Art, Melbourne (1991); Works on Paper, Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney (1994); The Blake Prize for Religious Art and touring (1995/96); Mulch & Metaphors: The Garden in Contemporary Art, Mornington Peninsula Regional Art Gallery, Victoria (1997); Changing Surfaces, Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria (2003); and The Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales (2007).
The artist’s first solo exhibition was held in Melbourne in 1980. He has continued to exhibit nationally ever since. He is represented by Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne with whom he began showing in 1993. In Sydney he is represented by Tim Olsen Gallery and in Canberra by Beaver Galleries. This is the artist’s first exhibition with Heiser Gallery.
Walker’s work is represented in collections throughout Australia including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of Western Australia, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane, Artbank, University of New South Wales, Philip Morris Arts Grant Collection: Parliament House, Canberra, Macquarie Bank, and AXA Australia.
Past exhibitions
2013
Myself and other animals
27 August – 28 September
2009
Recent paintings
15 September – 10 October
2007
17 July – 11 August