Jack Absalom

Date of birth
1927
Date of death
2019
Notes
Jack Absalom was born in Port Augusta, South Australia in 1927 and lived on the Nullarbor Plain from the age of five. As an adult he worked in various occupations, including 15 years as a professional kangaroo shooter where he developed his knowledge of the Australian inland. In 1972, Absalom made a trip to the Flinders Ranges with a group of artists. Although he had never painted before, he felt a great urge to paint the landscape and a natural talent was discovered. He was one of the members of the Brushmen of the Bush – a group of five artists who exhibited for many years in Australia and all over the world raising money for charity. In 1997, he opened his gallery in Broken Hill which showcased his oil paintings, prints, publications, DVDs and his opal collection. Each year Absalom went into the Australian outback for two months to paint. Absalom starred in a number of television series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, covering survival techniques and exploration of the Australian outback, including Absalom's Outback, when he travelled to remote locations in a Chrysler Sigma. Absalom was an advocate for the protection of the fragile Australian environment and as an artist he reinforced his love of the Australian landscape in oil and acrylic paintings. Absalom died in Broken Hill in 2019 at the age of 91.