Summary of work since 1977
Stephen King’s early etchings used the gorge country near Walcha as a means to explore aquatint and the etched line. He adopted Fred Williams’ gestural tree language to describe his shared love of the eucalypt. After graduating from SCA, Stephen produced a series of colour etchings at St Martins College, London. These depicted the life of an old bushman from his family farm and sought to romanticise the honesty of Old Ted’s working day. The Shearing series of 1983 also described the workings of the woolshed as a thing of rhythmic beauty.
Although his first sculpture The Digger travelled NSW in the 1976 Art Express exhibition he did not start to make sculpture for another six years when he experimented with figurative constructions and conceptual pieces using animal carcasses to make large acrylic monoprints on canvas. He was describing the devastating effects of the drought. With titles like the Black Shepherd and Cold Snap 9th October 1982, the unforgiving nature of the weather and man’s attempts to tame the land became a theme that Stephen has continued to revisit in both his prints and sculpture.
By the late 1980’s his linocuts were questioning how we farm the land. You’d get five strainers out of that one and Man going along chopping down lots of trees are examples of how he used humour and story-telling to make a bold statement with a resonant message that can be seen from both sides of the argument. In the Nature Fights Back series of 2005 The Disemboweling and Bad Dog are so explicit in their message that the effect is comical.
Religious themes have also been recurrent since the late 70’s. The Thrasher meets the Pearly Gates of 1987 and The Second Coming of 2002 address the issue of redemption and who will pay for their sins. The series Big Business comments on the selfish nature of ambition and the Stargazer series explores the problem with blind faith.
As a grazier he became interested in genetics and the continuum of life. When Iceman was discovered he made a series of sculptures exploring the idea of man’s heredity and the unraveling of our genetic make-up. Generation Stick, DNA and Beginning are all studies of life and humanity.
Stephen uses the everyday of rural life to give an insight to the industry of working the land. The Log Roller series is a tribute to human endeavour and etchings like It’s red-legged earth-mite and Let’s call it a day describe ordinary moments in the day of a farmer.
Most recently Stephen has been addressing climate change. Carbon Trader shows the debate as a juggling act with big business coming in to play using it as just another new commodity. Personal issues are woven into world issues. Two people fighting, Man and Child and First Kiss are about personal relationships but they also allude to time and the Zen idea of the wings of a butterfly and the ripple effect. Even more intimate is Hello Mate, a portrait of Stephen’s horse Bert who died during the making of the sculpture.
Currently he is working on non-figurative constructions which open and close as you move around them and suggest the idea of the infinite rather than the closed and finite shape of the figure.
Biography
1958 Born Bingara, New South Wales, Australia
1977 - 1979 Studied at Sydney College of the Arts
Graduated with Diploma of Visual Arts, Printmaking major
1981 Studied at St. Martins School of Arts, London
Solo Exhibitions
2016 To Birdsville and Back, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
2015 Stephen King, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Stephen King: Sculpture, Maitland Regional Gallery
2014 Stephen King: Sculpture, Tamworth Regional Gallery NSW
Stephen King: Sculpture, Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo NSW
2012 Against the Grain, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW
2010 Moree Plains Gallery NSW
2009 Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
Gallows Gallery, Perth WA
2006 Baroque Niche, Gallery Klatovy, Czech Republic
2003 Bryan Hooper Gallery, Chippendale, Sydney
2001 BBA Gallery, Sydney
1990, 1992, 1996, 1998 Coventry, Sydney
1988 Cintra Gallery, Brisbane
1985, 1987 Coventry, Sydney
1983 Tamworth City Art Gallery
1983 Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
1980 Parmenter Gallery, Walcha
Collections/Awards
2022 Palmer Sculpture Biennial, SA - Winner
2020 Sculpture in the Vineyards, Wollombi, NSW - Winner First Prize
2020 Sculptures in the Garden, Mudgee, NSW - Winner Major Acquisitive Prize
2014 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi – Winner, Artistic Excellence Program
2014 Eumundi Sculpture Prize – Finalist
2014 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi – Winner, Artistic Excellence Program
2013 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi – Winner, Macquarie Group Sculpture Prize
(Acquisitive $60,000)
2013 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi – Waverley Council Parks Staff Prize
2011 Aquasculpture – Port Macquarie – Winner
2011 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi - Sculpture Inside – Curators Prize
1999 Festival of the Black Soil Plains – Moree Plains Gallery/Winner
1999 Sculpture by the Sea Bondi – Sherman Galleries Award
Coventry Collection
NERAM, Armidale
Newcastle Regional Art Gallery
Tamworth Regional Art Gallery
Parliament House, Canberra
Commissions
2022 Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, Tumbarumba NSW
2020 Canal to Creek Westconnex M8 Public artwork project, St.Peters interchange
2020 Sculpture down the Lachlan, Forbes, NSW
2019 ANZAC Memorial Park, Walcha – The Beacon (collaboration with James Rogers, sculptor)
2018 Mona Farm, Braidwood, NSW
2017 Mc Cloy Group forecourt, Newcastle
2015 Peter Elkin Memorial Seat, Arboretum, Armidale NSW
2013 Northlakes Estate, Newcastle NSW
Lampada Estate, Tamworth NSW
2012 Castle Cove Primary School NSW
2011 Crossroads Hotel, Narrabri NSW
2010 Bryce Laut Memorial Sculpture Project, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, Port Macquarie NSW
2008 Sydney Polo Club, Richmond NSW
2006 Lynbrook Estate Shopping Centre, South Melbourne VIC
Dorothy Topfer Memorial, Ballina School NSW
2005 The Boulevard Longyard Estate, Tamworth NSW
Place Where Eels Swim mosaic, Walcha
2004 Harry's Corner, Shelly Beach, Port Macquarie, Hastings Council NSW
Judith Wright Memorial Garden, Armidale NSW
Waterlily Park, Port Macquarie, Hastings Council NSW
2002 Harry’s Lookout, Shelly Beach, Port Macquarie, Hastings Council
2000 Petali entrance sign, Walcha NSW
Walcha roads entrance signs – Walcha NSW
Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council – Bancroft Park, Roseville NSW
1996 Weather Signs fountain sculpture, McHatton Park, Walcha NSW
1991 Sculpture for the Rainforest Display, Dorrigo National Park, NPWS
1982 Mural, Imperial Hotel, Tamworth NSW
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 Palmer Sculpture Biennial,SA - Winner
2022 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. 20 times exhibitor.
2022 Tom Bass Sculpture Prize, Sydney, NSW
2021 Miniature Sculpture - Defiance Gallery, Mary Place, Paddington
2021 Sculptures Outback, Roma, QLD
2021 Compass: Generations of Walcha Artists -NERAM, Armidale
2020 Sculpture in the Vineyards, Wollombi, NSW
2020 Sculpture in the Garden, Mudgee, NSW
2019 “Sculpture by the Sea”, Bondi, NSW
Sculpture in the Garden, Mudgee, NSW – Invited Artist and Judge
2018 Hillview Sculpture Biennial – Hillview, Sutton Forest, NSW
City of Light – Tamworth Regional Art Gallery
2016 Borne - Sculpture for the body – Stanley Street Gallery
2015 Sculpture By The Sea, Aarhus, Denmark
First International Sculpture Painting Invitation -
Jishi Media Art Investment Management Co Ltd, Chang Chun China
2014 Maximus Minimus, Defiance Gallery, Newtown, Sydney
The Summer Show, Mick Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Walcha City Of Art Anniversary Exhibition, Walcha Gallery of Art
Sculpture At Sawmillers, McMahons Point, Sydney
Sculpture By The Sea Winter Exhibition, Surry Hills, Sydney
Sculpture 2014, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi, Sydney
2013-2016 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi, Sydney
2013 Julia Griffin, Stephen King, Nigel White, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
Kunderang, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
Sculpture, Mick Gallery, Paddington NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
2012 Small Sculpture Show, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
Defiance Sculpture Park at the Gate Gallery, Wollombi NSW
Sculpture Inside, Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
Tiny Titans and Miniliths – Miniature Sculpture Show, Defiance Gallery, Enmore NSW
Sculpture, Mick Gallery, Paddington NSW
In(two)art, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney NSW
Coventry’s Artists, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW
The Drawing Show, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
2011 Raw Jam, Walcha Gallery of Art NSW
Aquasculpture, Port Macquarie NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Cottesloe Beach, Perth WA
Kooindah Acquisitive Sculpture Prize Exhibition, Wyong NSW
2010 Going Bush – Stephen King and Julia Griffin, Galerie Am Park, Vienna, Austria
UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award and Exhibition, Penrith NSW
Artscape, Byron Bay NSW
Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay NSW
In(two)art, Maitland Regional Art Gallery NSW
2009 Opening Exhibition, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW
Sculpture in the Gaol, Trial Bay NSW
Aquasculpture, Port Macquarie NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW – Invited Distinguished Artist
Sculpture By The Sea, Cottesloe Beach, Perth WA
2008 Sculpture 2008, Maunsell Wickes at Barry Stern Galleries
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Cottesloe Beach, Perth WA
2007 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
Sculpture Inside, Bondi NSW
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Redleaf Council Chambers, Double Bay
Aquasculpture, Port Macquarie Town Green NSW
3D at Blue Poles Gallery, Byabarra NSW
Three's Company, Michael Reid, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney
2006 Sculpture By The Sea, Cottesloe, Perth WA
Regional Encounters, Tamworth Regional Gallery NSW
Walcha City of Art – Contemporary Australian Art, Karlovy Vary Art Gallery, Czech Republic
Opening, SAASS, Tamworth NSW
My Time My Place Myself, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale
Stephen King and Mike Nicholls Linocuts, Galerie F, Klatovy, Czech Republic
6th International Linocut Symposium, White Unicorn, Gallery Klatovy/Klenova, Czech Republic
Sculpture By The Sea – Invited Artist, Bondi NSW
2005 Sculpture Inside, Maunsell Wickes at Barry Stern Galleries, Paddington
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
New England Objectives, NERAM, Armidale NSW
The Land, Gallery 47, Rylstone NSW
2004 Sheer Diversity – Sculptors Who Draw, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi NSW
Sculpture Inside, Bondi Pavilion NSW
2003 Surface Memories, Tamworth City Art Gallery NSW
New Sculpture, BBA Gallery, Sydney NSW
Walcha – City Of Art, New Contemporaries, QVB, Sydney NSW
Confluence – Four Regional Sculptors, Port Macquarie Hastings Regional Art Gallery NSW
Walcha – City of Art, Old School Gallery, Walcha NSW
Bulldust to Bitumen Art Show, Walgett NSW
2002 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach NSW
Sculpture Inside, Bondi Pavilion NSW
Packsaddle Fundraising Exhibition, NERAM, Armidale NSW
2001 Sculpture From The Sea, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach NSW
Sculpture In The City, Martin Place, Sydney NSW
2000 It's A Guitar Shaped World 6, Tamworth City Art Gallery NSW
Inaugural Exhibition, BBA Gallery, Sydney NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach, NSW
1999 Stephen King – Small Sculptures, Armidale NSW
Willoughby City Art Prize, Willoughby Civic Centre, Sydney NSW
Art In The Wild, Wildwood, Mudgee NSW (Mudgee Wine Festival event)
Festival Of The Black Soil Plains, Moree Plains Gallery, Moree NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach NSW
1998 The Print Show, Coffin Creek Shed, Mudgee
Sculpture Acquisition Prize, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery NSW
Works from Coffin Creek Shed Mudgee, Old School Gallery, Walcha NSW
Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach NSW
Nova Anglica, NERAM, Armidale NSW
Etchings, Coventry, Sydney NSW
1997 Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach NSW
Roger Griffin, Julia Griffin, Stephen King, Coffin Creek, Mudgee NSW
The Opening, Old School Gallery, Walcha NSW
1996 Roger Griffin, Julia Griffin, Stephen King, Coffin Creek, Mudgee NSW
Generation Stick, Tusculum Gallery, Sydney NSW
Elevations, Old School Gallery, Walcha NSW
1995 Australia Felix, Emu Plains Woolshed, Benalla NSW
Salon des Refusés, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney NSW
Ironsides, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney NSW
1994 Roger Griffin, Julia Griffin, Stephen King, Coffin Creek, Mudgee NSW
Obsession, Coventry Collection, Campbelltown City Art Gallery Travelling Exhibition
1993 On the Other Hand, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Northern Artists – opening exhibition, Coffin Creek Shed, Mudgee
A survey of local contemporary practise, Tamworth City Gallery
1992 Works On Paper, Coventry, Sydney
1991 New Art Five, Coventry, Sydney
The Packsaddle Show, NERAM, Armidale
Christmas Show, Coventry, Sydney
1989 Griffin, Sahm, Kensell, King, Tamworth City Art Gallery
15 Shopping Days to Christmas, Coventry, Sydney
1988 New Works From the Studio, Coventry, Sydney
The Packsaddle Show, NERAM, Armidale
Black and White, Coventry, Sydney
1987 Colour II, Coventry, Sydney
Australian Works on Paper, Aion Fine Arts, Dallas USA
Five Northern Printmakers, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth
1986 Artists from North West NSW, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
Sydney Printmakers, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
Colour I, Coventry, Sydney
1984 Country Artists, Coventry, Sydney
1982 New England Regional Artists, Tamworth City Art Gallery
Regional Artists of New England, New England Regional Art Museum
1981 On The Open Road, London
1979 Australian Student Printmakers Travelling Exhibition, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
1977 SCA Selected Works, Adelaide Arts Festival
1976 NSW HSC Travelling Exhibition
Selected Bibliography
SMH Spectrum - 24-25 October 2020 - ‘Sculptors pick up the pieces’ by John McDonald
ABC Open New England North West – ‘Makers and Creators’, 13 February 2015 – ‘Sculpture from the highlands to the sea’ by Tim Leha
Craft Arts International no.95 2015 – ‘Sculpture by the Sea: Aarhus Denmark’ by Sasha Grishin
Sydney Morning Herald 22 June 2015 – ‘Australian Artists Shine At Sculpture By The Sea In Aarhus, Denmark’ by Sasha Grishin
ABC Radio New England North West, 13 May 2014 – ‘A survey: Stephen King’ by Kelly Fuller
media.theage.com.au/entertainment/behind-the-scenes/stephen-king-bush-sculptor, 16 January 2015
The Australian, Arts Review, 10 May 2014 – ‘Sculptor Stephen King performs a balancing act’ by Bronwyn Watson
Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum pp12-13, 9-10 November 2013 – ‘Ocean Views’ by John McDonald
Wentworth Courier p18, 30 October 2013 – ‘City’s fave coast walk’
The Northern Daily Leader, 26 October 2013 – ‘Walcha woodsman wins equivalent of Archibald’
The Weekend Australian, The Nation p6, 26-27 October 2013 – ‘Stairway rises to art challenge but farmer steps up’ by Tim Douglas
news.com.au, 26 October 2013 – ‘Artist turns disaster to artistic triumph’
The Daily Telegraph p11, 26 October 2013 – ‘Farmer’s fallout a natural winner’ by Elizabeth Fortescue
The Armidale Express p1, p7, 23 October 2013 – ‘The King of sculpture’ by Victoria Nugent
ABC Radio, 14 May 2012 – 'Against The Grain' by Kelly Fuller – watch online
ABC Radio New England North West – Interview Kelly Fuller 2010 – watch online
The Weekend Australian Financial Review p36, 10-11 July 2010 – ‘Breath of Fresh Air” by Sue Williams
The Daily Telegraph, Escape p67, 15 April 2010 – ‘Beauty cut by hand and nature’ by Marea Donnelly
Moree Life Magazine p16, April 2010 – ‘Inspired by the land’ by Samantha Stratton
The Courier Mail, Escape p30, 13-14 March 2010 – ‘Rustic Renaissance’ by Marea Donnelly
The Land p60, 11 February 2010 – ‘Sculpting to the bio-flow’ by Matthew Cawood
Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum p18, 14-15 November 2009 – ‘Good intentions lost at sea’ – John McDonald
Sydney Morning Herald, Business Day p2, 6 November 2009, CBD by Scott Rochfort
The Australian, Arts, 4 November 2009 – ‘Figures no match for the landscape’ by Christopher Allen
Sydney Morning Herald, Arts and Entertainment p12, 30 October 2009 – ‘Thinking of Recession? It’s a shore thing’ by Adam Fulton
You magazine p13, August 2009 – ‘The Art of Living’ by Wendy Spooner
Home Beautiful magazine p72, July 2009 – ‘Home Grown’ by Karen Cotton
Insite magazine p210, Autumn 2009 – ‘Gallery’s Choice’ by Nathan Scolaro
Western Suburbs Weekly, Perth p27, 10 March 2009 – ‘Farming inspires’ by Andrew Ritchie
Beyond the Bale p18, February/March 2009 published by Australian Wool Innovation – ‘Shaping the Land’ by Matthew Cawood
The Daily Telegraph, Weekend p39, 18 October 2008 – ‘Art and about for a wondrous event” by Elizabeth Fortescue Armidale Independent p10, 23 April 2008
Landline, ABC TV, 2 December 2007 – ‘Big art’ by Pip Courtney
The Land Magazine p36, 4 January 2007 – ‘Sculpting from Walcha’s waste’ by Amy Lewer
Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum p16, 3-4 June 2006 – ‘A reality Czech from Walcha’ by John McDonald
Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend p20, 14 January 2006 ‘Art attacks’ by John McDonald
Port Macquarie Express, Hastings Council Community Newsletter p4, 20 April 2005
The Northern Daily Leader p2, 31 March 2005 by Rebecca Gracie
The Australian, 7 April 2004 by Tim Hughes
The Newcastle Herald, Weekender pp8-9, 21 February 2004 by Darrell Croker
Armidale Express p2, 11 February 2004
Surface Memories colour catalogue published by Tamworth City Art Gallery, December 2003
Walcha City of Art colour catalogue edited by John McDonald and published by New Contemporaries, QVB, Sydney
Sunday Telegraph, 28 December 2003
The Land, Magazine p6, 2 October 2003
The Land, Magazine p1, 3 July 2003 by Melissa Lang
Artreach pp16-17, June 2003, by Jane Shadbolt and John McDonald
The Australian p17, 20 June 2003 by Tim Hughes
Sydney Morning Herald p5, 16 June 2003 by Peter Cochrane
The Daily Telegraph p13, 11 November 2002
Artreach p24 June 2002 by Cath Ovenden
Sydney Morning Herald Metropolitan p19, 4 April 2001 by Courtney Kidd
Sydney Morning Herald Metro p27, 30 March 2001 – Critics Picks by Courtney Kidd
Sydney Morning Herald p6, 27 March 2001 by Andrew Stevenson
Artreach p12, February 2001 by Rebecca Townsend
Country Style December 1998 by Sue Webber and Trevor Creighton
Artreach (Regional Arts NSW) pp42-43, Summer 1998
Business Review Weekly, 28 October 1996 by Jane Burton Taylor
Sydney Morning Herald p3, 28 May 1996 by Peter Cochrane
Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum, 1 June 1996 by John MacDonald
The 7.30 Report, ABC Television, 1993 New Art Five, edited by Neville Drury, 1991
Sydney Morning Herald, 31 July 1987 by Bronwyn Watson
Sydney Morning Herald, 19 April 1985 by Susanna Short
The Northern Daily Leader p1, 30 April 1983
Workshops / Presentations
2018 Walcha Sculpture Symposium – Joint co-ordinator, technician
2013 Norfolk Island Pole Project – Sponsored artist to conduct a presentation and wood carving workshop.
2009 Bryce Laut Memorial Sculpture Workshop – Blackfellows Gully, Walcha
2008 “Sculpture in Public Space” – Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe Conference – State Library, WA – Presenter
2007 Aboriginal Sculpture Workshop – Enngonia, NSW
Inami International Wood Sculpture Camp, Nanto City, Japan – Invited Australian representative
Verandah Post Project, Walcha – Co-ordinator and Technician
2006 6th International Linocut Symposium, Klenova, Czech Republic
2004 “Sculpture in Public Space” – Sculpture by the Sea Symposium – Domain Theatre, Art Gallery of NSW – Presenter
2002 Confluence 2002, 2003- Port Macquarie – Presenter and workshop.
2001 Walcha Street Furniture Project – Co-ordinator and Technical Assistant.
1997, 1998 Youth and Aboriginal workshops – printmaking
1990–2001 Printmaking workshops held in own studio for school and TAFE students.