…. Although (Richard Cornish’s book) The Woman Lilith sets out to find the one mythical answer to the question -Who is Lilith- What is Art-What is life, the book is full of many small triumphs of discovery. And small though they may be, the book’s belief in them leaves you with a feeling that the question is being answered constantly’Adams First Wife’ Richard Cornish ‘The Woman Lilith’ Reviewed by Mark Macleod, SMH, 1975.

‘It’s a terrific title ‘The Woman Lilith’, the first wife of Adam, rebellious, beautiful, damned, a vampire, a demon, challenge to God himself…. The novel attempts to understand this woman -and attempts to define, confine her only to reveal at every turn the impossibility of doing so. She is always changing…there is an appealing aestheticism in this writing, even in the use of colour description. The novel has a sirenic ring, this fine novel opens on a cerulean blue morning…and although there is plenty of startling poetry in Cornish’s prose, you can feel him controlling it gently. You come away from the book haunted by its visual imagery…Adams First Wife’ Richard Cornish ‘The Woman Lilith’.

‘I was rather apprehensive about meeting Richard Cornish, the well- known artist turned novelist whose book ‘The Woman Lilith’ was published last week… My first impression was of subdued elegance…. As I left my last glance was of Richard Cornish, self possessed, the enfant terrible of Australian letters, lost in thought…Profile of Author ‘ ‘Man of Letters ’ Womans Weekly, 1975.

‘Richard’s art seems to capture the rhythm and energy of life itself through his work…’
Anne Von Bertough, Gallery Owner and Director.1974.

‘Richard Cornish is an artist who paints with his nut…’Noel Counihan

‘He has a deep feeling for the energies and rythmn of nature…’Llyd Rees.

‘Both he and Ellen (Visser) came to see me. She is the stronger personality and he is the more intelligent artist… ‘Bill Dobell.

‘An impressive performance – full of new insights into the nature of artistic personalities of that time and deeply moving in the poetry of its style!’ Professor Fredrick Hartt of the US as a .World Renaissance specialist. In a written comment on Cornish’s dissertation 1984, Flinders Uni, SA archives.

I have written ‘an impressive’ thesis according to US Professor Fredrick Hartt1 on the crisis of Italian Mannerist Art during the period of the Cinquecento. I was in communication and correspondence with Sir Anthony Blunt2 and Arnold Hauser. ‘I find his thesis on Art and Estrangement during the Italian Cinquecento-to be far too political and ideological for me to consider evaluating!” Sir Anthony Blunt, Courtauld Institute, London

‘…Hmm, we might have a a great talent  on our hands’. Statement about the writing of Richard Cornish by Geoffrey Dutton to Roland Robinson (poet and writer) and Lee White publisher of Australian Literature. Sun Books Meeting, Sydney, Oct, 1974.

His biography appears in many libraries around the world. From the prestigious World Encyclopaedia of Art Allemeines Kunstlerlexikon Leipzig, to Who’s Who in Australian Art and the Australian Encyclopaedia of Art vol 1, 2nd ed, 1982, Directory of Australian Authors, National Book Council1982, A Concise Dictionary of Australian Artists, Comp Gwenda Robb, Elaine Smith ed. Robert Smith, Melbourne UP, 1993, Who’s Who of Australian Writers 1st ed. Thorpe Publishers, Victoria, 2nd ed.1995. WhoÂ’s Who in Australia and the Pacific, IBC Cambridge 1997-98.

Articles

‘On the American Exhibition’ Article for East Sydney Art Students Magazine May 1967.

‘On Siquerious-and Mexican Mural Painting’ for East Sydney Students Art Magazine, July 1967.

‘On Art and Alienation’ for Arena Magazine organised Peter Flynn, Aug 1968.

‘Lessons from the Past ‘On the Western history of Art Schools -From Vasari to the Present’, Paper Newcastle School of Art and Design, 1973

‘Pontormo: Introspection and Estrangement’ Guest lecture, Flinders University, S.A 1983.

‘Pontormo: New Insights into his painting ‘The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand’ Southern Cross University, Fine Arts holiday camp, Gunundi NSW, 1994

‘The Challenge of China: Questions of Multiculturalism’ Organised John Mac Grath, Fine Arts Department, Newcastle University 1988.

‘On Picasso’s Death’ Australian Left Review No 41, Aug 1973

There are more reviews in Smartartz journal of Southern Cross Uni and Chiaroscuro Art School magazines. As well as radio performances and guest lecturers.

Art /Novel ‘In Search of Malgudi’ set in India. A Comic /Tragedy ANU Library 1988.

Plays

‘The Girls in Our Town ‘Newcastle Uni Library, 1974

‘The Jester of Ch’u’ is a radio play that was written for ABC’s Ian Reid Competition, ABC 1995

‘Coriolanus and Co – Go Wacko’ a humorous reworking of Shakespeare’s play on how politics and money work throughout the ages. Completed 2000. Entered for Patrick White award. Read later by John Bell from Bell Shakespeare Company. ‘Jolly entertaining…. and a fine homage to Brecht, Shaw and Shakespeare ….It belongs to a fine tradition of Australian satire/review…I congratulate him on an original and entertaining piece’ John Bell.

Solo and Group Exhbitions

National Art School, East Sydney 1966.

Cell Block Theatre, National Art School East Sydney 1967

‘Against the Wind-One Blade of Grass’ Mathew Flinders Theatre Foyer Flinders Uni SA. Oct 1969

Von Bertough’s Gallery, Newcastle 1974

Brooke Moore Gallery, Bathurst 1975

Art Show, Wyoming Court Gallery, Orange, Sept, 1975,

Retrospective ‘Ricordanza’ exhibition Flinders University S.A. 1980

‘Cornish and Marko Koludrovic’ Tamworth City Gallery, Tamworth, March /April 1990

‘Across Cultural Lines; Towards New Identities ’ Multicultural Exhibition, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW 1997.

‘East Meets West’ with Japanese artist Fudeko Reekie. Brooke-Moore Gallery, All Saints’ College, Bathurst. Dec 1975.

Group Exhibitions

‘Modern Art’’ selected works from Sydney’s Public Schools, Inner Sydney 1955. Organised by Ken Reinhardt and Keith Molde

Newcastle City Art Gallery Students Exhibition 1965

Newcastle School of Art and Design, NTC student show, City Art Gallery1966

National Art School,Sudents Exhibitions 1967.

Mattara Art Exhibition, Civic Park, Newcastle 1965/66

Dora Creek Workers Club Art Exhibition, Dora Creek, NSW 1964/65

May Day Art Exhibitions, Newcastle Workers Club, years 1966, 67, 68

The Realist Group Art Exhibition, (touring Australia) Newcastle City Art Gallery, Newcastle, June 1968

Perth Prize for Drawing Perth, WA 1969

National Art School, End of the Year show-East Sydney 1966/67

Cell Block Theatre, National Art School, selected show 1967 (my paintings admired by Dobell)

Readers Digest Prize for Draftsmanship, National Art School, East Sydney 1967 (my drawings admired by Lloyd Rees)

Travelling Scholarship (Won by Brett Whitely) Art Gallery of NSW 1966

Le Gay Breton Joint Prize for Painting and Drawing , Art Gallery of NSW 1967

David Jones Print Exhibition David Jones Gallery, Sydney 1967

Ashfield Art Prize, Ashfield 1967/67.Artist for Labour, Paddington Town Hall, Sydney 1975

Art Sale for ALP Von Bertough’s Art Gallery, Cooks Hill, Newcastle 1975

7th Taree Art Exhibition Taree, NSW 1983

‘Collector Choice’ Art Exhibitions Von Bertough Art Gallery, Newcastle 1977, 78, 79.

Sulman Prize Art Gallery of NSW 1975

Newcastle May Day Prize for Political Cartoons, Newcastle Workers Club 1983/4

Little Treasures, Big Pleasures, Lismore Regional Art Gallery, 1991/2

Southern Cross Staff Exhibitions, Access Gallery, Uni Campus 1990/91

Expression Session, Art Exhibition Kempsey 1995

Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, Grafton Regional Gallery, 1996

Living treasures Art Exhibition, Lismore Regional Art Gallery. Portraits of Green Senator Ian Cohen 1999/2000

School of Arts Art Gallery Nimbin, 12 Exhibitions on various themes. Changed every month 1997-2000

BACCI, Ballina Community Art Gallery. Annual Art Exhibition. Ballina Dec 2007.

Grant from Australia Council to travel to China and begin a multicultural book on the history of ideas in that country and culture. My family lived at East-China Normal University Hua Dong Sita Shanghai 1984 and .I wrote ‘The Ninth Immortal from the use of this grant.

South Australian Arts Department, Literature Board: Grant to write autobiography 1980. A process still occurring. First vol. ‘An Australian Artists’ Childhood.’

Commonwealth Literature Board Grant to assist in the publication of ‘The Woman Lilith’ 1975.

Grant from Experimental Film and TV Fund to make documentary about pollution in Newcastle region titled ‘The Corruption of Nature’, a lyric documentary 1973 on ecological problems.

Directed film ‘Lesson in Degree’ which won Hunter Valley Tertiary award from Kodak and Channel 3, 1972

Won May Day Prize for Protest Paintings on Vietnam War subjects 1968-1969

Won Le Gay Breton Prize for best draughtsmanship at Art Gallery of NSW 1967

Won Readers digest prize for best draughtsmanship at National Art School, East Sydney 1967

Won Newcastle University Prize for Painting 1966

I have had have had 9 solo Exhibitions and 30 Group Exhibitions. I have also illustrated for the national folk magazine Stringy Bark and Greenhide, worked as graphic designer, designed book and record covers, created set designs for stage productions, worked in fabric printing etc.

‘Who Pays the Piper’ A Satire on the decadence of the Howard years; a 1000 page epic novel)

‘The Ninth Immortal’ Dong Fang Shuo’s Comic History of Chinese Thought .A Funny pop history of Chinese Thought with 30 illustrations.

‘The Goose Bringer’ A Lyrical Travelogue across Northern China to his son David’s wedding to Trudy in Ji Xi in northern China near Harbin.

“Images and Poetry from a Lifetime” A kind of retrospective of best art works and poems.

“Rebirthing in the Elephant Room’ A Funny novel about hippy life in Nimbin.

‘An Australian Artist’  of a autobiography.Vol 1 Title  ‘Running’.

‘Liv’s Song ‘written in collaboration with Elsebeth Nielsen. The Émigré’s Story of a Scandinavian émigré in Australia in the 70’s and her rise and rise as a glamorous model for Vogue.

‘The Story of Pumkin’ Ilustrations for a childrens story by Elsebeth Nielsen.

‘In Search of Madgudi’ Humorous Novella set in India

‘The Gunners Tale’ (Film Script) On the Court Marshal of Bill Vandertak (my great uncle) in the First World War.

Unpublished Articles

‘Lady Renouf and I’ Literary Portrait of Michelle Mannering in 1966, or how I went up in the world of the left wing radicals and she went down into that of the holocaust denying English aristocracy. Written 2008.

Review of John Berger’s book ‘Photocopies’.

Essay ‘Great Artistic Talent, Genius and Estrangement’  2010.

Etc.