Pro Hart Biography
Pro Hart (1928 – 2006) was an Australian painter. He traveled the world, but stayed in Broken Hill. He was born in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia in 1928. His early years were spent on "Larloona", a sheep farm, about 130 km from Broken Hill, learning by correspondence. He drew from a young age, illustrating homework at seven and steadily progressing in his talent. In 1960, at age 32, he married Raylee June Tonkin, 19, and together they had five children. He continued to paint and took art lessons to help formalize his technique. He was discovered by Kim Bonython, an Adelaide gallery owner, in 1962 and his popularity as an outback artist began to rise. Pro Art continued to experiment with artistic techniques throughout his life. Working primarily with oils and acrylics, Pro used any tool or method to achieve the desired result for his work. He drew on techniques of stratification, chiaroscuro, glazing, smearing and scratching. Pro was also a sculptor who worked with welded steel, bronze and ceramics. In 1976 he was awarded an MBE for his services to the arts in Australia. In 1982 he received an Honorary Life Membership of Society International Artistique for outstanding artistic achievement and in 1983 he received an Australian Citizen of the Year award.
