Robert Hannaford

Hannaford painting a landscape near Adelaide in 2011
1998: Sir Donald Bradman in the Creswell Gardens
2012: Simpson and his donkey in the Angas Gardens
2013: ATSI War Memorial at Torrens Parade Ground
2015: Sir William Henry Bragg in front of Government House

Robert Lyall "Alfie" Hannaford , (born 9 November 1944) is an Australian realist artist notable for his drawings, paintings, portraits and sculptures. He is a great-great-great-grandson of Susannah Hannaford.

Family

Hannaford was born and grew up on his family's farm in the Gilbert Valley near Riverton, South Australia, attending Riverton Primary and High Schools. Born to Claude and Vera (née Hoare), he has two elder brothers (Ian and Donald) and a younger sister (Kay).

In 1960, aged 16, he moved to Adelaide to complete his schooling at Prince Alfred College. He met Kate Gilfillan in 1964. In 1967–68 he studied in Ballarat, marrying Kate in 1968. They moved to Melbourne in 1969 living there for four years, where their two children Tom and Georgina were born. They divorced in 1976.

He returned to South Australia in 1974 living in Riverton, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and from 1981–87, West Hindmarsh. In 1984 his daughter Aisha was born and in 1987 his daughter Tsering was born.

Hannaford bought a disused farmhouse and outbuildings at Peters Hill near Riverton and commenced converting them into a dwelling and studio, where he now lives with his wife, artist Alison Mitchell. They were married in 2007 and own and operate Riverton Light Gallery. [1] and have exhibited in collaborative exhibitions.

In 2006 Hannaford was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.

On 1 January 2001 Hannaford (of West Hindmarsh) was awarded the Centenary Medal "For service to the community through art". On 9 June 2014 Hannaford (of Riverton) was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) "For significant service to the visual arts as a painter and sculptor". Also in 2014 he received the Premier's Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Ruby Awards.

Hannaford's youngest daughter, Tsering, is also a notable South Australian artist. Like her father, she specializes in portraiture, landscapes and still life, and has been a finalist for the Archibald prize. She became a full-time artist in 2013.

Career

Although self-taught, Hannaford has benefited from the mentoring of South Australian artists Hans Heysen and Ivor Hele. He worked as political cartoonist for the Adelaide Advertiser from 1964 to 1967 (between Pat Oliphant and Michael Atchison), before becoming a full-time artist in 1970.

Primarily known as a portrait artist, depicting the likes of Dame Joan Sutherland, Donald Bradman, Paul Keating, and Bob Hawke, he is also known for his landscapes, still lifes, nudes, and sculptures. He has commented on his portraiture that: "Portraiture is an exploration of character that goes beyond photography. It is an ongoing thing over a long period of time. You get elements of various emotions that can be sensed in the painting."

Hannaford first entered the Archibald Prize in 1991 with a portrait of Hugh Stretton. The portrait was shortlisted, and won the 1991/1992 People's Choice Award. To 2018, 26 of his entries have been finalists in 21 of the competitions, and he has been a three-time winner of the People's Choice Award – in 1992, 1996 and 1998.

"Black Chicks Talking" Project

"Black Chicks Talking" was a project conceived by the actor Leah Purcell and her partner Bain Stewart, and developed by their production company Bungabura Productions. At the invitation of Stewart, in the period 1999 to 2002 Hannaford painted 10 portraits of noted Australian indigenous women to support the project which had been presented to Hannaford as an initiative to raise funds for a mentoring scheme for young Indigenous people. In order to keep the portraits together as a group, they were donated to the Tweed River Gallery.

The ten subjects of the portraits are:

Commissions

Other portraits on public display

  • 1978 - Sir Thomas Playford, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Adelaide
  • 1978 - Alexander Maurice Ramsay, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
  • 1985 - Gavin Walkley, St Mark's College, North Adelaide
  • 1987 - Tom (Hannaford), Tweed River Art Gallery (Image)
  • 2001 - Jack Mundey, Sydney Living Museums (Image)
  • 2004 - Stephen Codrington, Prince Alfred College, Adelaide
  • 2006 - Lowitja O'Donoghue, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra (Image)
  • 2007 - John Bannon, St Mark's College, North Adelaide
  • Vice-Chancellors of the University of Adelaide, Mitchell Building, Adelaide

Recognition, honours and awards

Archibald Prize finalist

Hannaford's work has been selected as an Archibald Prize finalist many times:

  • 2022 – Self-portrait

Archibald Salon des Refusés

The Archibald Salon des Refusés is an exhibition which shows Archibald Prize entries that have been selected to hang in the prize exhibition.

Gallery

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial
  • Hans Heysen in Hahndorf
    Hans Heysen in Hahndorf