John Brack was a realist painter whose subject was the complexities of urban, modern life. He was often seen as a satirist and his work shows characteristics of cynicism but Brack did not appreciate this view. Brack’s work first became prominent in the 1950’s. “Collins St, 5 p.m.”, one of his more iconic paintings, was a social commentary on the daily life of his city; the streets of Melbourne during rush-hour.

His work has been held at prestigious institutions such as the ‘National Gallery of Victoria’, ‘National Gallery of Australia’, ‘Art Gallery of South Australia’, ‘Monash University Gallery’ and ‘Australian National University Gallery’.

Considered to be one of Australia’s most intelligent and iconic artists, John Brack’s work is highly valued. “Double Nude I” (1982-83) was sold at a December 2011 auction for $1,442,727. More recently, Brack’s “Nude in Profile” was sold for $417,273 at the ‘Deutscher and Hackett’ sale on May 10th, 2017.

Brack’s work covers a series of topics and themes, however, he usually painted with a similar theme over numerous years. His work is not limited to; war-time drawings, urban life, school playgrounds, shop windows, nudes, ballroom dancers, and mannequins.

“What I paint most is what interests me most, that is, people; the Human Condition, in particular, the effect on appearance of environment and behavior… A large part of the motive … is the desire to understand, and if possible, to illuminate…” –John Brack