STEPHEN BUSH
Born Colac, Victoria 1958; lives and works in Melbourne. Stephen Bush is a painter whose practice is built on a series of works, each created through a different aesthetic approach but linked by their surreal sensibility. His chosen subjects are diverse and atypical: beekeepers, rubbish bins, alpine scenes, Babar the elephant and men on horses, amongst many other idiosyncratic references. Like his subject matter, Bush's painterly range is varied and free-flowing, moving from lurid abstraction to figuration realism. Bush has exhibited extensively in Australia and the USA since 1984. Highlights include his participation in Future Tense: Reshaping the Landscape, Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York, 2008; as well as a major solo exhibition at SITE Santa Fe in 2007; and a survey exhibition at The Ian Potter Museum, University of Melbourne, 2003.
Selected group exhibitions include: Mix Tape 1980s: Appropriation, Subculture, Critical Style, The Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery Victoria, Melbourne, 2013; Marie Celeste, Artspace, New Haven, Connecticut, 2011; Contemporary Encounters, The Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery Victoria, 2010; Contemporary Australia: Optimism, Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland, 2008; The Plot Thickens, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, 2004; and Signs of Life: Melbourne International Biennial, 1999. He is the only Australian painter featured in Phaidon’s current major publication Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in Painting.
Explore and Follow Artists Shaping Contemporary Art
A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services