Kim Nelson (born 1958, Kiama, New South Wales) is an Australian artist. He lives and works in the foothills of the Brindabella mountain range, near the Australian National Capital, Canberra. Themes such as the recurring ‘Red Shawl’ and other spiritually suggestive motifs put his artwork firmly in the field of Symbolism though his style does range from classical to the abstract
Early years
Kim Nelson grew up in a farming community on the New South Wales south coast. His artistic abilities were evident very early in his childhood, from illustrating school projects to creating backdrops for school performances and, musically, through his involvement in school choirs. He started learning the guitar at age 13 and showed an aptitude for song writing and singing. He was listed in the top 10% of the state in art for his final year of High School. In 1976, through the advice of his uncle, renowned traditional landscape artist Leonard Long, Nelson attended the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, one of the few ateliers in Australia still teaching classical principles in art. He studied life drawing for three semesters and also completed a wall mural in the same year. This period at Julian Ashton was to be Nelson’s only formal training in art.
Graphic design and contemporary music
After Julian Ashton, Kim Nelson worked in graphic design and marketing for many years, whilst concurrently being involved in contemporary music as a singer/songwriter. With various outfits he played support to many well known Australian bands including The Angels, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel and INXS. His final involvement in contemporary music came in 1989 via the band WIRED who won various competitions, were included on a compilation album entitled ‘We’re Not Square’ (recorded live at the Australian National University) and received a Government grant to record. The group recorded three songs at National Recording Studios, Canberra, which was engineered by David Small and produced by Nelson. Through various contacts in the music industry, Nelson setup meetings with PolyGram, East West Records and Sony. In 1990 he travelled to the USA and Britain to attend interviews and showcase the WIRED recordings, only to find on his return that the group had disbanded.
Also in 1990 Kim Nelson staged his first solo exhibition entitled ‘Musicians’ and designed his first record cover art which was nominated for best album cover at the Tamworth Country Music Awards for that year.
‘Cooma Cottage’ and the National Trust of Australia
In 1988 Kim Nelson ended his career in graphic design and began working for the National Trust of Australia whilst also focusing more directly on fine art. He was the inaugural manager/curator of the historic homestead Cooma Cottage home to the famous Australian colonial explorer, Hamilton Hume. Through a range of eventing, educational programs and exhibitions he developed the property from a fledgling local attraction into one of the National Trust’s most successful regional properties. His reputation spread throughout the National Trust and into the public arena, garnering Nelson various awards in heritage and tourism.
In 1993 Dr Peter Stanbury (then head of Museums & Collections at National Trust, NSW) stated in an annual report to the board of the National Trust (NSW) "Kim Nelson is our model manager and news of his proficiency has spread throughout the Trust and into the public realm"
Also in 1993 Kim Nelson staged his second solo exhibition entitled ‘Maeve’ in honour of his new born daughter, Caitlin Maeve.
Nelson left the National Trust in 1995 to take on a temporary position as acting Senior Curator of Lanyon and Calthorpes’ House, both heritage properties in Australian Capital Territory. He also represented the ACT Museums and Galleries in tourism and promotion until March 1996.
Fine art (1996 – present)
In 1996 Kim Nelson retired from curatorial work to embark on a full time career in fine art. Almost immediately he received a commission to create five separate artworks for international media magnate Rupert Murdoch. The following year he staged his first solo exhibition in Sydney which was opened by Australian art investor and financial guru, the late Rene Rivkin. He has subsequently completed commissioned work for many organisations and individuals ranging from the National Trust of Australia to publishers Pan MacMillan and staged many solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. His artwork is in the collection of organizations and corporations such as the Australian High Commission, London and News Limited, New York.
In 2003, Kim Nelson was commissioned to create an artwork commemorating the historic Mount Stromlo Observatory near Canberra, subsequent to the historic Canberra bushfires that destroyed this famous Australian icon. In 2004 Nelson embarked on an artistic pilgrimage to attend a major retrospective of the late Italian artist Massimo Rao staged at the Panorama Museum in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany. This trip to Europe inspired and informed three separate solo exhibitions in 2005 – ‘Postcards’, ‘Icon’ and ‘Beyond These Shores’, the last of which was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore MP.
Since 2006 Kim Nelson has been represented by United Galleries in both Sydney and Perth. For the opening of his 2007 solo exhibition in Perth he body painted a nude model, an event which was filmed by ABC Television ‘Stateline’ (Perth) and was featured in a story about the booming Western Australian art market. ABC Television ‘Stateline’ (Canberra) also ran a story featuring the artist and his work.
In 2008 United Editions published ‘NELSON – The Art of Kim Nelson’ being the first published survey of Kim Nelson’s output over the period from 1996 to 2008 and included text by gallery director Robert Buratti, novelist Brian Caswell and an introductory from the artist.
Charity
In 1994 Kim Nelson gifted a major artwork ‘Desert Storm’ to UNICEF Australia for auction which began a period of association with this international humanitarian organization. He also created an edition print entitled ‘The Gift’ as another form of fundraising for UNICEF.
Nelson has gifted art and design to many major and minor organisations and charities such as UNICEF, Hope for the Children (Rotary International), AMACC (Afghan Mother & Child Care), Koomarri Canberra, The Smith Family, NSW Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, Can Assist along with numerous local and amateur groups. He also, from time to time, still curates exhibitions on behalf of others.
In 2007 he designed and co-ordinated body painting projects for a nude calendar entitled ‘Bare Facts’ to raise money for Can Assist, an organization that assists cancer sufferers and their carers. This also involved designing and co-ordinating a mass nude photo shoot in the style of Spencer Tunick. This project also received national television coverage.
Personal life
Kim Nelson met Therese Van Leeuwen in 1987 and in 1997 they married. They have a daughter named Caitlin Maeve Nelson.
Kim Nelson is blind in his right eye, the result of a congenital cataract at birth.
At age 12 Nelson read about the journeys of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer which began a lifelong obsession with all things pertaining to Dürer. He has also had a lifelong interest in myths & legend and a love of history in general.
In relation to his art he has stated "I seek not to emulate the styles and techniques of the past, but to reinterpret and develop them in the present and for the future."
Notes & references
- Richards, Bill (February 1991) “Trust People – Kim finds a new career path at Hume’s property” National Trust Magazine
- Nelson, Kim (February 1994) “Ten years at Cooma Cottage” National Trust Magazine
- Litchfield, Joanna, (November 27, 1994) “Haunted by visions of a fallen angel in a cruel society” The Canberra Times
- Vincent, Jan (March, 1995) “Artists in action” Australian Artist
- Burgess, Verona (March 17, 1996) “Irish ‘orphan’ girls now pride of Erin” The Canberra Times
- Hopman, Sally (August 31, 1997) “Artist inspired by his territory” The Sunday Times
- Bennett, Rod (August 13, 1999) “The full Nelson” The Manly Daily
- Hopman, Sally (August 10, 2003) “The National Trust co-opts an artist – A heritage picture” The Sunday Times
- Yelland, Phillippa (September 30, 2003) “Artist’s brush with the past” Sydney Morning Herald & The Age
- Nelson, Kim (October 2003) “Evolution of an artwork” Heritage in Trust Magazine
- Hopman, Sally (August 28, 2005) “An artist that doubles as a real journeyman” The Canberra Times
- Emery, Kate (September 4, 2007) “Kim’s long art journey on display” The West Australian
- Lord, Gillian (November 17, 2007) “When art met life in charity” The Canberra Times Panorama Magazine
- Thistleton, John (September 16, 2008) “Artist brushes aside recognition to help farmers” The Canberra Times
- Buratti, Robert (August-October, 2008) “The rise of the new” Australian Art Review
- Sjostedt, Arne (November 19, 2008) “From little things, big things grow” The Canberra Times
Television
- 'Winter' exhibition 1998 WIN 4, Canberra
- 'Winter' exhibition 1998 CAPITAL 7, Canberra
- 'BeyondThese Shores' exhibition 2005 Inner City Community TV, Sydney
- 'The Art of Kim Nelson' 2006 ABC Stateline, Canberra
- ‘Yass Body Painting’ June 1, 2007 ABC Stateline, Canberra
- ‘The Face on the Phonebook’ September 21, 2007 ABC Stateline, Canberra
- ‘Art Boom’ 2007 ABC Stateline, Perth
Radio interviews
- 'UNICEF' & 'Irish Orphan Girls' project 1996 YASS FM
- 'UNICEF' & 'Irish Orphan Girls'project 1996 ABC 666 Canberra
- 'The Art of Kim Nelson' exhibition 1996 ABC 666 Canberra
- 'Into The Light' exhibition 1997, 2GB & 2CH Sydney
- 'Winter' exhibition 1998, Artsound FM Canberra (Bill Oakes)
- 'Conversations' 2003, Artsound FM Canberra (Bill Oakes)
- 'Oddfellow' exhibition 2003, YASS FM
- 'Conversations' 2004, Artsound FM Canberra (Bill Oakes)
- 'Back to the Sheep's Back' 2006 YASS FM
Publications
- 'Eyes of the Soul - Exploring Inspiration in Visionary Art and Artists' by Prof. Philip Rubinov-Jacobson
- 'Double Exposure' by Brian Caswell University of Queensland Press 2005 ISBN 0 7022 3533 4
- 'NELSON' - The Art of Kim Nelson 1996 - 2008 (United Editions, Australia)
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