The Artist
A short rowing history
The artist made his father a very happy man after reaching the dizzy heights of Melbourne Grammar School's 4th eight, a similar height to his father before him (although at Xavier College), at a time when the strength of the school was some 13 eights deep.
The Melbourne Grammar School boathouse on the banks of the Yarra River is home to a very large collection of trophy oars. While many of these celebrate the school's wins in the Heads of the River dating back to the late 19th century, there are a great number of oars donated by old boys of the school. There are many Cambridge and Oxford university and college oars among those hanging from the walls and ceiling. Perhaps it was here that he first saw the beauty of the art that he was later to call his own.
Progressing to the club scene he demonstrated a thorough lack of both height and talent to be completely ignored by the Banks Rowing Club Youth selectors. A dissappointment to the family as his great uncle was a grand old member of Banks and had managed the King's Cup team for many years. After a lacklustre novice season he moved to Geelong to attend university and joined Corio Bay Rowing Club. The club boated a very strong novice eight that year and enjoyed many successes. This strength was not carried over to the Deakin University crew, mainly Corio Bay members, that could only manage a dissapointing 9th at the Australian Intervarsity Championships that year in Adelaide.
After a 4 year sabbatical he returned to rowing, this time for Richmond Rowing Club. He has enjoyed success and failure for many years now in a variety of boats in a variety of categories. The artist's rowing career seems on the improve with wins many categories of boats, boat sweep and scull. He has been Captain and Vice President of the club, but now is living overseas and working as a professional rowing coach (spreading what little knowledge he has about technique!).
The Richmond Rowing Club is thought to be the 4th oldest continuously operating community club in the world (Leander, Boston and Melbourne University all being older). However there was a lack of assorted memorabilia on the walls of the building when he joined. The club seemed to have made a habit of burning down, first in 1926 and then again in 1970, and had lost a great deal of the physical history each time. It was thought that some of the old crews in the great framed pictures could be illuminated onto an oar to celebrate the 'Golden Years' of Richmond during the 1930's. The artist produced an oar for the 1931 Championship Eight of Victoria. The rest, as they say, is history.
Of his rowing it has been suggested that he has missed his calling as an elite oarsman. However various so called rowing experts have dampened these dreams. Noel Donaldson thinks he is a hack, Brian Dalton thinks he is overweight, and Peter Antonie believes he has a slack attitude. And so the artist devotes himself to rowing poorly and training irregularly in search of the winning race that will finally end the sad irony of the trophy oar painter without a trophy of his own.
Happy rowing,
Jonathan Cantwell
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The mighty Melbourne Grammar 4th Eight, 1990. Four seat - the face of pain! |
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Training on the Mitchel River 2001. Jonny in bow, Rob in stroke. |
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