Noel Counihan

Noel Counihan was a prominent Australian artist and activist who was known for his paintings and prints of social realism. He was born on 4 October 1913 in Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the son of James Counihan, a tramway worker, and Alice née Smith. He showed an early interest in art and politics and received some formal training at the National Gallery School of Victoria. He joined the Communist Party of Australia in 1931 and became an active member and leader of various workers' movements and cultural organizations. Counihan's artistic talent and passion for social justice led him to produce many paintings and prints that depicted the struggles and hardships of the working class, the unemployed, the oppressed and the marginalized. He was influenced by European artists such as Goya, Daumier, Picasso and Leger, as well as by Australian artists such as George Bell, William Dobell and Russell Drysdale. He experimented with different styles and techniques, such as expressionism, surrealism, abstraction and realism. He also used various media, such as oil, watercolor, charcoal, pen and ink, lithography and etching. Counihan was widely respected as an authority on Australian art and culture. He exhibited his works at various venues, such as the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria, the Victorian Artists Society and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He also wrote articles and reviews for various publications, such as The Guardian, Meanjin and Overland. He taught art at various institutions, such as the Melbourne Technical College, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Preston Institute of Technology. Counihan died of heart failure on 5 July 1986 at his home in Brunswick. He was buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Betty Counihan, whom he married in 1941, and their two sons: Michael and Martin¹. He left behind a legacy of artistic excellence and political commitment that continues to inspire generations of Australians.