GEORGE KENDALL
George Kendall was born in Carlton, Melbourne in 1937. He grew up and was educated at Terang in the Western District of Victoria. It was there that he was to get to know and love the country. These years were to shape and influence his life and develop his interest in art. After leaving school he spent some time on the farm, but decided to seek a future in Melbourne. He had always been interested in art and painted for pleasure in his spare time.
With George's work, every painting tells a story. He is self-taught and has always ‘done his own thing.’ George has been painting since 1970 and has travelled a great deal thoughout Victoria, NSW, Southern Queensland, SA, up the track to Alice Springs, Uluru, and across to Western Australia where he and his family moved in 1976, returning to Victoria in 1980. George retired to Bendigo in September 2001. He has had exhibitions in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and his popular works are currently displayed at the Tin Shed Arts Gallery in Malmsbury and at the Bendigo Pottery, in Victoria.
His works are in private collections in Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Italy, England, Scotland, Israel, Japan, France and Holland. In 1984 George was commissioned by Valentine Greeting Cards to design 12 cards and a Christmas card in 1985. George has also been mentioned in the 1977 publication of Australian Naïve Painters, “Hill of Content”, by Bianca McCullough. More recently, the Shire of Campaspe purchased George’s work for their permanent collection.
The art critic for the West Australian newspaper commented,
George Kendall has to be termed a primitive/naïve artist which puts him in good company, and one who easily ranges from landscape per se to what people do on it. There is a sparking freshness in the satire and an honesty in the physical surface that works most attractively. His work is to be enjoyed for its confident, simplified technique and then for its tongue-in-cheek commentary when the human species takes centre stage.
AWARDS
1990 Best Painting Award. Lady of the Sacred Heart College, Bentleigh. Judged Robert Miller.
1994 Acquisitive Award. Royal Overseas League, Mount Batten - ANZ Bank. Judged by Sir William Dargie.
2001 Highly Commended. Mt View School Art Show. Judged by David Chen.
2010 Encouragement Award – Acrylic. Camberwell Rotary Art Show
George Kendall may be contacted by phoning (03) 5442 6801 | 
