Robert 'King' Crawford, "Champion of the North East," Australian Art Brut Ned Kelly Painting, 1994

A raw, powerful, and historically significant work by one of Australian art's most fascinating and paradoxical figures, Robert 'King' Crawford (1927-2018). Titled Champion of the North East, this 1994 oil on canvasboard is a prime example from the artist's highly sought-after "Ned Kelly Series."

Crawford, a celebrated public figure once dubbed "Melbourne's Czar of the Arts," channelled a creative energy that was anything but institutional. He developed his own philosophy of "Mesmeratic Art," an intuitive, untutored style that aligns perfectly with the international Art Brut or Outsider Art movements. This painting is a testament to that philosophy. The canvas is alive with a thick, sculptural impasto, where fiery reds and oranges create a scene of chaotic energy. At its heart is a lone figure, arms raised in triumph or defiance, capturing the raw, folkloric spirit of the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly.

This work enters into a direct dialogue with Sidney Nolan's iconic modernist depictions of Kelly. Where Nolan's Kelly is a cool, symbolic figure, Crawford's is visceral and immediate—a hero of the people seen from within the frenzy of the crowd.

The piece is housed in a custom, handsome timber frame that complements its rustic energy. Its provenance is distinguished on the verso with Crawford's own signature and authentication label.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire a compelling work that encapsulates a key theme in Australian folklore, created by an artist who was both a cultural insider and an artistic outsider.

Creator: Robert 'King' Crawford (Artist)

Dimensions: H. 51 x W. 61 x D.4 cm 

Materials: Oil on Canvasboard, Impasto. Presented in a custom timber frame, ready to hang.

Place of Origin: Australia

Date of Creation: 1994

Condition: Excellent. In original condition with wear consistent with age and use. Presented in a custom timber frame.