Franck Gohier
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Franck Gohier | |
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| Born | August 15, 1968 Saint-Nazaire, Brittany, France |
| Nationality | French- Australian |
| Occupation | Mixed Media Artist |
Franck Gohier (Born 15 August 1968 - ) is a French- Australian mixed media artist born in Saint-Nazaire, Brittany, France in 1968. Based in the Northern Territory since 1975, Gohier is a highly regarded member of the arts community in the Northern Territory.
Gohier is best known for his pop art aesthetic combined with clever social and political commentary on issues affecting the Northern Territory and Australia. His work is edgy, irreverent and multi layered covering both current events and nation-shaping events.
His works are sought after nationally and internationally, held in collections across the world, and featured in print and digital journalism and industry journals. Gohier's approach to his art making has been made accessible through his Printmaking practice.
Early life
Gohier's family emigrated to Australia in 1972 on the ship RHMS Ellinis in search of a more progressive country than the conservatism of France at the time. Settling in Cabramatta after a short stay in the Villawood migrant processing centre, the family grew tired of the big city life in Sydney and with encouragement from friends, moved to Darwin to chase opportunity.
The family sold everything, bought a caravan and drove up the east coast, eventually arriving in Darwin in late 1975. Both of Gohier's parents started a demolition business which offered a young Franck the opportunity to see the devastation of Cyclone Tracy up close. Playing in the rubble and unearthing treasures in what was left of abandoned and destroyed homes was where Franck discovered his love for history, collecting found objects and what he would later call urban archeology.
His schooling occurred at Berrimah Primary School, Anula Primary School and Casuarina High School, where Franck took fine art, commercial art and technical drawing classes. His earliest art attempts were based on copying the images of Franco-Belgian comics and adding his own flavour. Parents of school friends who worked as artists gave Franck the idea that pursuing art was a possible career path.
After leaving home and school at 15, Gohier worked doing odd jobs until the age of 18 when he enrolled the art school at Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University) graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Fine Arts). It was here that Franck first learnt about printmaking and started exhibiting his works.
Style and Technique
Gohier's style is rooted in popular culture and socio-political satire often using mixed media to communicate his message. A major influence on his practice has been the Situationist International movement (1957–1972) and the collective graphics of historical protest and propaganda posters.
Artistic career
Franck first started exhibiting in 1989.
After graduating from NTU in 1992, Gohier joined NTU as a part-time lecturer and print technician helping facilitate the inaugural Indigenous printmaking workshops at NTU, eventually becoming known as Northern Editions in 1996. During this time, Franck collaborated on approximately 150 limited edition prints and projects across various Territory communities.
In 1996, Gohier established an art program with Northern Territory Correctional Services and 24HR Art at Berrimah Prison. Run under the Ending Offending program, select Indigenous inmates were taught a range of art skills by guest Indigenous elders as both a means of therapy and skill building for life outside of prison. The success of this program led to a similar program being established at Alice Springs Prison, at the time.
Concurrently in 1996, Gohier and business partner Shaun Poustie established Red Hand Prints with a focus on community. Red Hand Prints ran as an open-access studio offering free printmaking workshops for the community and a professional editioning program for remote communities across Australia. More than 200 collaborative limited editions were created in this time along with 100 community-based, limited-edition posters distributed throughout Darwin and Australia at no cost.
During this period Gohier also worked at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. This work required travelling to remote Indigenous communities across the Northern Territory to upskill artists – established and emerging - on printmaking. This gave local artists the opportunity to express their culture and stories through printmaking and offered economic development opportunities for small art centres and communities.
In 2003, Gohier taught at Casuarina Senior College in Darwin, lecturing in painting and printmaking for mature age students. He put Red Hand Prints on hold looking for a new studio location and missing the joy and physicality of painting.
Since 2003, Gohier has pursued visual arts full-time completing residencies at Charles Darwin University, the University of Wollongong, Casula Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the Canadian Academy in Kobe Japan. As a full-time artist, Gohier has been represented by Karen Brown Gallery (2003-05), Ray Hughes Gallery Sydney (2005-11), Outstation Gallery (2012-15), James Makin Gallery Melbourne (2020-current), Frank Schlag & Cie German Contemporary Art (2009 – current) and Mitchell Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane (2015-current).
Gohier has been commissioned by organisations and individuals across the arts, social justice, environment, business, education and events sectors to develop custom prints for promotional material, branding and gallery spaces across the country.
With this new space finished, in 2012 Gohier re-established Red Hand Prints. The new studio also incorporated Letterpress equipment for the first time. Since it's re-establishment, the studio space has hosted visiting artists from across the world, offering specialist workshops not normally available to Territorians.
In 2017, Gohier was awarded the honorary title of Companion of the University, Charles Darwin University for his educational leadership and development of the fine arts and his tireless advocacy of the value of art in society. The Vice-Chancellor at the time, Mr Simon Maddocks, recognised Franck "as one of the most influential, prolific and generous artists in the Northern Territory" and "one of the most significant donors of original art to the Charles Darwin University Art Collection."
In 2018 the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory hosted a major survey exhibition of Gohier's work. This event was accompanied by a book "Franck Gohier. A thousand miles from everywhere" published by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, authored by Glenn Barkley and Dr Wendy Garden, with editing and publication co-ordination by Wendy Wood.
Collections
Franck's works are held icn private collections across the world including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South America and the United States. His work is also sought after nationally and internationally for public collections including:
- Artbank
- Art Gallery of Ballarat
- Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
- Charles Darwin University
- Charles Sturt University
- Dubbo Regional Gallery
- Flinders University Art Collection
- Griffith Artworks, University of Queensland
- Katherine Town Council
- Labor Council of New South Wales
- Maitland Regional Art Gallery
- Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
- National Gallery of Australia
- National Library of Australia
- Northern Territory Library
- Northern Territory Parliament House
- Northern Territory Supreme Court
- Print Council of Australia
- Toga Group
- University of Wollongong
- Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
References
External links
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