Geoffrey DUPREE

Geoffrey Dupree was born in England and came to live in Australia with his family at a young age. They settled in Newborough North. Dupree studied art at the Morwell Technical School under Richard Bishop*. During the 1970s, Dupree returned to London, where he studied Fine Arts specialising in painting. When arriving back in Melbourne, Dupree held his first solo show with Australian Galleries in 1979.

The work Waterloo Road has particular local significance, depicting the rural-urban landscape. Featuring Quigley’s Garage in Trafalgar, a familiar roadside marker, Dupree paints a desolate, unsettling town scene. Details that would perhaps often be overlooked, such as the Quigley branding, the petrol bowsers, the streetlight, and rail crossing signals, are articulated through the clean, sharp lines and monochromatic contrast. Through this contrast, Dupree adds drama and emphasises the architecture’s geometry, vertical and horizontal lines. The banal is brought to the fore, capturing the building as a monument and portrait of place.

Dupree has been an important figure in contemporary drawing practices for many artists that have emerged through the Gippsland art school. He has taught in tertiary institutions throughout his career and continues to facilitate drawing classes in studios around Victoria. Dupree’s work is held in the National Gallery of Victoria and Artbank. He currently lives and works in Melbourne.

*For many years Latrobe Regional Gallery awarded an exhibition opportunity to an emerging artist to recognise the contribution of Richard Bishop. Richard (Dick) Bishop was a highly influential artist and teacher. He established a Diploma of Arts course at Morwell Technical College.