Early Life and Artistic Awakening
John Coburn (1925–2006) was born in Ingham, North Queensland, and spent his childhood moving through small country towns due to his father's work as a bank manager. At age 11, his father passed away from pneumonia, a devastating loss that left a lasting impression on young Coburn and deeply influenced his emotional world.
He found solace in drawing, copying calendar watercolours and creating images that helped him process his grief. A formative moment came in 1938 during a boy scout trip to Sydney, where he visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales and was profoundly moved by Arthur Streeton’s Still Glides the Stream.
From War Service to Art School
At 17, Coburn joined the Royal Australian Navy, serving as a radio operator in the Pacific during World War II. Known as “the artist” aboard HMAS Nepal, he sketched ships and landscapes during his travels through Ceylon, Bombay, and the South Pacific. After the war, Coburn resolved to become a professional artist. Despite being advised against it during an aptitude test, he applied to East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School) in 1947. His pencil drawings of ships caught the attention of teacher Frank Norton, who admitted him on the spot—an early sign of his undeniable talent.
Love, Partnership, and Finding His Voice
At art school, Coburn met fellow student Barbara Woodward, a red-haired commercial art student who would become his wife and creative partner. They married in 1953 and set up home in a small flat in Rose Bay, where Coburn painted in the lounge room. Barbara became his screen printer and lifelong collaborator. A turning point in his practice came the same year, when he saw an exhibition of French modernists at the Art Gallery of NSW. The vibrant works of Picasso and Matisse revealed to him the potential of abstract art and gave him the courage to pursue a modern, non-figurative style of his own.
Spirituality and Symbolism
Coburn’s conversion to Christianity before marrying Barbara had a deep influence on his artistic philosophy. He aimed to express the spiritual through colour, form, and symbolic shapes. His 1960 Blake Prize-winning Triptych of the Passion was an early example of his distinctive approach to religious themes.
Over time, his work became known for evoking a sense of the sacred without relying on traditional iconography. As he once said, “Sometimes I paint God, and sometimes I paint just the earth,” reflecting his belief that the divine could be found in both the cosmic and the everyday.
Major Works and International Recognition
Coburn’s work gained widespread acclaim through both painting and tapestry. He was commissioned to design two monumental tapestries—Curtain of the Sun and Curtain of the Moon—for the Sydney Opera House, and The Seven Days of Creation for the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. His work is held in major collections worldwide, including the Vatican Museum, and all Australian national and state galleries. In 1999, his art reached millions when Australia Post selected his Tree of Life and Madonna and Child for their Christmas stamps and aerograms, bringing abstract religious imagery into the public eye.
Educator, Advocate, and Cultural Leader
Beyond the studio, Coburn was a respected teacher and served as Head of the National Art School in Darlinghurst.
He played a pivotal role in advancing abstract art in Australia at a time when it faced institutional resistance. In 1957, he co-organised a landmark exhibition at the David Jones Gallery with Tom Gleghorn and Robert Dickerson, prompting the Art Gallery of NSW to acquire his work despite controversy from traditionalist trustees.
The director, Hal Missingham, defended the purchase passionately, marking a turning point in the acceptance of modern art within major institutions.
Legacy and Recognition
John Coburn was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in 1980 for his outstanding contribution to the arts. He later received honorary doctorates from James Cook University and the National Art School. A committed environmentalist and supporter of social causes, he also contributed to heritage conservation, land rights, and the republican movement. His luminous, deeply spiritual artworks continue to resonate with audiences today. Celebrating 100 years since his birth, Coburn’s legacy lives on—not only in the vibrancy of his colour and form, but in his role as a visionary who helped shape the course of Australian modern art.
