painter, illustrator and cartoonist, son of L.W. Friend, was educated at Cranbrook, Sydney. After leaving school he spent a year as a jackeroo on his father’s property at Singleton, then returned to Sydney and studied art with Dattilo Rubbo and Sydney Long. In 1936 he was living with his 'companion’ Don Murray in an 80 year-old stable in High Street, Woollahra, with a modernistic fresco painted on its walls – called 'a Bohemia that has gone Japanese’. He was friendly with a group of young gay artists, Wolfgang Cardamatis, Wallace Thornton and Michael Brown, who lived in the stables opposite owned by the painter Mary Edwards; all were keen to go to Europe to seek fame ( Smith’s Weekly 15 August 1936, 10). In fact, they went to war. Friend’s wartime cartoons and story illustrations (reproduced artworks, not direct commissions) appeared in Australia: National Journal and Australia Week-end Book 1 (1942). The latter includes “There goes Ellen, off to her war work” (a dove with a bomb in its beak) and '“I see you admire my orchids, Colonel!” (on low evening dress at a wild party)./ “Tell me, Countess, are they Spectabile Grandiflora or Pendula?”’

He also wrote and illustrated I Go to War , 22-24, and The Door , 110. Other small drawings appeared in vol.3 of the Week-end Book (1944), e.g. p.81. He also contributed drawings to the Home , e.g. people standing round a bush hut, “Now play something from Saties’ Le fils des etoiles”, December 1941, 43; people at a party with Bacchus and Venus, “And now that the seance is concluded, Madame Zara, I wonder if you would be good enough to de-materialise Bacchus and Venus before we have our tea?” March 1941, 13; at a wild party in a garret, “I always say, the world would be a very dull place if we all thought alike” 1 February 1941, 17; family picnic with bombs going off everywhere: “Something always happens when we picnic – Last year Annie sat on an ants’ nest!” 1 December 1941, 42; story and illustrations about an awful party and a talking horse, Life is so rich 1 September 1941, 34-35.

Friend illustrated Ron Saw’s Brief Encounters (Cammeray, NSW: Richard Griffin, 1984) and many other books. He also made etchings, e.g. Birthday Party , Beach Bikies , No Room at the Inn and Chez DF (self portrait: ill.), all c.1987 (edn 50), Josef Lebovic Gallery (1996), and he wrote and illustrated his own books, although he is, of course, best known as a painter. His historical painting, The Arrest of Governor Bligh n.d., oil and gold leaf on board, was offered at Christie’s auction, part 1, on 26 November 1996, lot.118 (ill.).

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007