A brief note 

JOHN FIRTH-SMITH was born in Melbourne on the 8th July, 1943. While still very young his family moved to a seaside suburb in Auckland, New Zealand, a move which seemed to create a love affair with the sea and sailing. In 1961, after having moved to Sydney, he studied painting at the National Art School in Darlinghurst. However, he soon became more interested in Abstraction.

In 1966 he had his first solo exhibition – and a further ten were to follow - at Sydney’s Gallery A.

Coincidentally, at that time, in 1966, a touring American show was at the Art Gallery of NSW, and it strongly featured abstract painting.   

In 1975 John was awarded the Patrick McCaughey Painting Prize.

John has exhibited annually at leading commercial galleries in Australia and overseas, and on a number of occasions he has lived and worked in New York.

He had several shows with us, in 1983 and 1987, and almost in 1993, but he was usually too much in demand elsewhere.

His later works, many of which were quite large, are renowned for their sea greens and blues, often divided sharply by a strong, diagonal line, often with a highly suggestive nautical ambience.

His works enjoy strong critical and commercial acclaim. Very few have reappeared for sale - it seems collectors love them.