Portrait of Alan Bond

Artist Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

Date1988

Object number00055074

NamePainting

MediumOil on canvas, timber, paper, plastic, metal

DimensionsOverall: 645 × 545 × 55 mm
Image: 435 × 330 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA framed portrait of Alan Bond by yacht designer Ben Lexcen on the occasion of Alan Bond's 50th Birthday. It depicts a laughing Alan Bond with a blimp in the sky behind him featuring the number 50. Handwritten on the back of the canvas reads 'Ben Lexcen 1988 Alan Bond's 50th Birthday'. Many designers and architects are also accomplished artists, able to sketch, draw and paint, and often to a high standard. Ben Lexcen had always been good at quick free hand sketches and drawings that were accurate and well proportioned. In his later years he took up painting as well, and created a small output.HistoryBen Lexcen (formerly Bob Miller) 1936-1988 was one of Australia’s principle yacht designers from the 1960s until his death in 1988. He created a number of revolutionary and unorthodox designs and gained International respect. The ocean racing yachts MERCEDES III, APOLLO and GINGKO were amongst his most significant designs, along with the IYRU Contender Class single handed dinghy, and the 18-foot skiffs TAIPAN and VENOM. He was the designer of America’s Cup boats from 1974 until 1987, including SOUTHERN CROSS and AUSTRALIA and was the designer for AUSTRALIA II which won the America's Cup in 1983, a major National and International sporting achievement. His career began under the name Bob Miller, and formed a sail making and design partnership with Craig Whitworth during the 1960s called Miller & Whitworth, which lasted until the mid-1970s. At that time he changed his name to Ben Lexcen, and had a brief design partnership with Johan Valentjin to design AUSTRALIA KA5 and other yachts. This was disbanded around 1978, and he worked under the Lexcen name with a small staff based in his home at David Place Seaforth. After the design of AUSTRALIA II for the 1983 America’s Cup win he established a drawing office which included Peter Lowe as a senior partner. This became Lexcen Lowe Design and a few years after he died it became Peter Lowe Design. Alan Bond came out from the UK and settled in Perth where his entrepreneurial business approach created a large portfolio of real estate and companies which he continued to buy and sell until Bond Corporation owned some of Australia’s largest companies. A number of deals were financially unsound and he was declared bankrupt in the late 1980s. He became a keen sailor after he acquired a yacht as part of a deal, and then commissioned his own large ocean racing yacht APOLLO, designed by Ben Lexcen. This began a lifelong professional relationship and personal friendship with Lexcen. He designed the yachts for Bond's America's Cup campaigns from 1974 to 1987. After spending time in jail in relation to his business dealings Bond went back to the UK for a period and returned to Australia for his last few years, gradually rebuilding some of his former business empire and wealth. SignificanceBen Lexcen's painting of Alan Bond as a gift for Bond's 50th birthday was painted not long before Lexcen passed away in 1988. It would be one of his last artworks.

Lexcen and Bond were close friends and both took up painting in their later years. This portrait reflects Lexcen's respect for Bond who had been a strong supporter of Lexcen's talent and potential even when some designs did not perform as well as they had hoped.