The Helicopter Series
In mid 1998, the Arid Zone Artists embarked on their helicopter series of paintings. Below is an article written by renowned Adelaide author, Kerry Kennihan, published in Kendall Airlines Country connection magazine, spring 98.
By Kerry Kenihan They are as mad as cut snakes-wonderfully so. When I told them I was flying to Broken Hill, they hired a helicopter, not to meet me at the airport but to embark, just for me, on an eccentrically artistic exercise. They are the Arid Zone artists, Shane Gehlert,
Kym Hart and Howard William Steer who have broken away from the mainstream of painting pursuits in the Silver City which, Howard said, has no glut of artists but a lot of painters. If Jackson Pollock could make a million dollars out of the Australian Government with Blue Poles by throwing paint and tramping on his enormous canvas, the Arid Zone boys should be multi-billionaires because
they're zanier and, I more than suspect, individually and together, more talented. Away from the airport building, where their combined mural, Breaking New Ground, (symbolising Broken Hill's struggle from its early miners days to current settlement,) the helicopter took off. Howard
was on board with masses of paint. Below, fellow artists loomed over several boards and, lo, the paint splashed down as the copter hovered perilously close to earth - but Howard was right on target. Six abstracts were in the making from the air and the boys, who have cut away from the Brushmen of the Bush to make their own special art statements, used sticks, hands and imagination to
quickly swirl their own impressions on to the boards laid on plastic as the last litre of paint fell to their dry, reddy earth. But not a drop was spilled beyond the plastic undersheet. I wonder if the paintings have been framed and sold. They looked good to me by guys who have even dive-bombed Ayers Rock in a similar exercise. They want their next collective project to be painting the fuselage of a Kendell aircraft. The team meets weekly. Kym, (who has never had intention to trade on his father's name, renowned Pro Hart,) met Howard at the rubbish dump. When they combined with Shane and Geoff, they soon became recognised,
first somewhat as renegades but, then, for their own special talents. Shane discovered a richness of light and composition in the unique laneways of Broken Hill which became his trademark with paintings of rusty iron fences, kids playing and dogs. (All Arid Zone artists have dogs.) Then he opted for his surrealistic robo 'roos, chrome robotic kangaroos. His gallery is in nearby
Silverton's former St. Carthage Catholic Church, built in 1886. Howard is a storyteller in paint. While his works contain great humor, (such as Captain Sturt's first desert pee -not misspelt,) he also works on serious subjects such as cot death. He is embued by the Flying Doctor and he's completing a series of 25 works, with brush and knife, on this theme. His gallery is at
721 Williams Street, Broken Hill. Kym Hart's medium is primarily oil paint. But he's proficient in other media as a landscapist and post-impress-ionistic painter. His works really capture the arid Outback, particularly life on station properties. His styles are completely different from his father's. Kym can be found working and exhibiting at The Old Shed Studio, Broken Hill. The
Arid Zone Artists all have their works additionally in prints. Give them a plane, train, bus, ship of the desert, helicopter, or a clapped out 4WD - and they'll perform miracles. When I could tear myself away from these mad wonder-creators, I stayed at the Silver City's Crystal Motel, in the core of this terrific town. K They want their next collective project to be painting the fuselage of a Kendell aircraft.
The team meets weekly. Kym, (who has never had intention to trade on his father's name, renowned Pro Hart,) met Howard at the rubbish dump. When they combined with Shane and Geoff, they soon became recognized, first somewhat as renegades but, then, for their own special talents. Shane
discovered a richness of light and composition in the unique laneways of Broken Hill which became his trademark with paintings of rusty iron fences, kids playing and dogs. (All Arid Zone artists have dogs.) Then he opted for his surrealistic robo 'roos, chrome robotic kangaroos. His gallery is in nearby Silverton's former St Carthage Catholic Church, built in 1886. Howard is a
storyteller in paint. While his works contain great humor, (such as Captain Sturt's first desert pee -not misspelt,) he also works on serious subjects such as cot death. He is embued by the Flying Doctor and he's completing a series of 25 works, with brush and knife, on this theme. His gallery is at 721 Williams Street, Broken Hill. Kym Hart's medium is primarily oil paint. But he's proficient in other media as a landscapist and post-impress-ionistic painter. His works really
capture the arid Outback, particularly life on station properties. His styles are completely different from his father's. Kym can be found working and exhibiting at The Old Shed Studio, Broken Hill. The Arid Zone Artists all have their works additionally in prints. Give them a plane, train, bus, ship of the desert, helicopter, or a clapped out 4WD - and
they'll perform miracles. When I could tear myself away from these mad wonder-creators, I stayed at the Silver City's Crystal Motel, in the core of this terrific town. K | 
