High-profile contemporary Australian artist Richard Dunlop* has donated a major painting to have pride of place in CQUniversity's Rockhampton Campus library.

Dunlop himself chose the Bruce Hiskens Library as a suitable space to display his 3m-wide oil-on-linen painting entitled Iron ore 2, donated under the Cultural Gifts Program.

The artist decided to donate the painting in memory of his father Herbert George Dunlop, who was born in Rockhampton and lived there until he was an adult.

Richard Dunlop with his painting in its new location at CQUniversity

Dunlop says the artwork's layered landscape was drawn from both early exploration vistas of Australia's coastline, and Sidney Nolan's central Australia series.

"I hope it puzzles people who pass by it for some time to come," he said this week during a morning tea function marking the donation.

CQUniversity Art Collection Manager Sue Smith says Iron ore 2 is a major painting by the artist in his characteristic lyrical style, "presenting a shimmering vision of the Australian outback, bathed in light and resonating with the mellow browns of an ancient landscape".

"A poetic work, Iron ore 2 invites us to lose ourselves in the bleak timelessness of the Australian interior while reflecting upon Australia's past exploration and present mining endeavours. The painting is of particular relevance to Central Queensland and the communities CQUniversity serves which benefit economically from mining, including Mackay, Gladstone, Emerald and Rockhampton."

Ms Smith says donations of art works are of vital importance in developing the CQUniversity Art Collection.

"The University is very appreciative of this support. Donations may be made through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program which allows donors a 100% tax deduction of the value of the work."

VC Scott Bowman, Uni Art Curator Sue Smith, artist Richard Dunlop and Library Director Graham Black

Iron ore 2 was originally included in the exhibition Richard Dunlop: Age of Exploration, hosted by Sydney's Tim Olsen Gallery in 2009.

* Born in Brisbane in 1960, Dunlop lives and works in Melbourne. An established Australian artist, his work is held in many public and corporate collections, including the National Library of Australia, Brisbane City Gallery, Rockhampton Art Gallery, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Griffith University, the University of NSW, University of Tasmania, Macquarie Bank, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Museum of Modern Art (Shiga) and Zurich Insurance (Zurich). He has two PhDs, including a Doctor of Visual Art (2007) for which he received an Award for Academic Excellence from Griffith University. He has had over 20 exhibitions in commercial galleries in various states of Australia, as well as in Switzerland and Japan. A survey exhibition of his work toured regional galleries in Queensland in 2005-2007.

Among the first to see the new work were Merilyn Luck and Lynette Howard. Merilyn is Chair of the Rockhampton Art Gallery Trust and Lynette is President of the Royal Queensland Art Society Rockhampton branch 
Among guests at the morning tea were Companion of the University Estelle Woodhouse and her husband Noel 
Richard Dunlop addresses the morning tea guests