John Peart (1945–2013) was one of Australia's most respected abstract painters. Across a career spanning almost five decades, he developed a deeply personal visual language shaped by observation, intuition and a lifelong commitment to painting. From his early years in Brisbane to his long association with Watters Gallery and the artists' community at Wedderburn, Peart continually pushed his work in new directions while remaining true to the act of looking, questioning and making. His achievements included winning the Wynne Prize in 1997 and the Sulman Prize in 2000, and his work is held in every major Australian public collection.
In this episode, Julie Nicholson and Gary Seller are joined by artists Euan Macleod and Joe Frost to celebrate Peart's life, work and enduring influence. Rather than a formal biography, this is a conversation between artists who knew him personally and whose own practices have been shaped by his generosity, intelligence and remarkable paintings.
Together they discuss Peart's relentless curiosity, his openness to experimentation, his connection to landscape and abstraction, and the way his work balanced structure with freedom. They reflect on his role within the Wedderburn community, his years teaching at the National Art School, and the impact he had on generations of Australian painters. They also consider why his work continues to resonate and what today's artists can learn from his approach to painting as an ongoing process of discovery.
About Euan Macleod
Euan Macleod is one of Australia's leading contemporary painters. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, he moved to Sydney in 1981 and has built an internationally recognised career exploring the relationship between the human figure and the landscape. Known for his expressive surfaces and psychologically charged paintings, Macleod has received numerous major awards and has taught painting at the National Art School. He knew John Peart for many years and contributed to the 2004 John Peart: Paintings 1964–2004 retrospective publication.
About Joe Frost
Joe Frost is a Sydney-based painter whose practice moves between observation and abstraction, drawing on memory, place and the experience of everyday life. Exhibiting since 1999, he has developed a distinctive body of work through an improvisational and layered approach to painting. Frost knew John Peart personally, has written extensively about his work, contributed essays to both the 2004 retrospective and the recently published John Peart monograph, and brings unique insight into Peart's practice and legacy.
This episode is a thoughtful tribute to one of Australia's most significant painters and a rare opportunity to hear two artists reflect on the life, ideas and lasting influence of a friend, mentor and extraordinary painter.
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