[2] In October 1982 a photographic image of Townsend with one of his painted giraffes graced the front cover of The Bulletin.
In the photo he is captured wearing a beard, sneakers and army disposal gear and the young artist is introduced to the broader Australian cultural market.
[6][7] In 1979 Townsend's first major one man exhibition was held by Barry Stern at his eponymous gallery in Glenmore Road, Paddington.
He has had many solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth as well as the United States of America, Japan and Hong Kong.
[10] Townsend's work has been hung in the Sulman and Wynne Prize exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.