Rod Dudley - Untitled

Rod Dudley (1935) is an Australian born sculptor–painter who relocated to Milan, Italy in 1965 to study and practise as an artist. He and his wife Christina, have established themselves in one of the great commercial and cultural hubs of Europe and have lived comfortably near the Northern Italian Lakes for 47 years. They have a home in Queenscliff, Victoria and two children who grew up in Italy; Francesca, who lives and works in Melbourne, and Nicholas, an engineer based in Perth. With his 76 years, Rod is enjojing his annual return to Australia to exhibit new works executed during the year in Europe.
Influencing his painting is German figurative expressionism of the 20’s ( Grosz, Schad and Dix ) which in Rod’s art becomes a Pop realism like the narrative English Pop artists Hockney and Blake. Other mentors are Richard Lindner, Stanley Spencer and Lucian Freud. His sculptures show a hint of homage to the great sculptors of post-war Italy like Marino Marini and Giacometti.
A renowned artist, he studied art in Melbourne, and in ’65 attended Milan’s Brera Accademy, class of MARINO MARINI ( with an Italian Government Travelling Scholarship ). In forty years he has shown regularly throughout Europe and frequently in Australia. In Milan he was represented and his art was shown by the Gallery del’Naviglio, on Via Manzoni and in 1984 he had an exhibition at the PALAZZO GRASSI,VENICE. He has had prestegeious anthological shows like that at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Gallarate ( MAGA), and shows in Australia: Kim Bonython Gallery, Sydney: Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney: BMG Galleries of Adelaide and Sydney. In the USA at Catherine Hayes-Art+Sculpture,.Greenville, SC, and often in the Australian summer time when he is at home in Queenscliff,– Showing his sculptures at Salt Contemporary Art Gallery.
He has many private collectors like Elton John and such fashion designers as Missoni, Kritzia, Geoffrey Beane of NY, and George Grosz in Adelaide. His works are on display at the ADELAIDE FESTIVAL THEATRE (Tall Ladies), NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL GALLERY, Canberra (Anzac Soldiers), Art Gallery of South Australia, Transfield, Phillip Morris Collection, Power Collection, Sydney University and the MAGA (Galleria of Modern Art, Gallarate.) N.Italy.