Ann Thomson facts for kids

Ann Thomson (born in 1933) is a famous Australian artist. She creates both paintings and sculptures. Ann is well-known for her big artworks made for public places. These include Ebb Tide (1987) in Sydney and Australia Felix (1992) for the World Expo in Spain. In 1998, she won a big award called the Wynne Prize. Her art can be seen in important collections around the world. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Ann's Early Life and School

Ann Thomson was born in 1933 in Brisbane, Australia. She went to a private school called Somerville House. Other famous artists like Margaret Olley also went there. After school, Ann took art classes with teachers like Richard Rodier Rivron and Jon Molvig.

In 1957, Ann moved to Sydney. She studied art at the East Sydney Technical College. This school is now called the National Art School. She finished her studies in 1962. Ann learned about drawing, sculpture, and painting. Some of her teachers were famous artists like Godfrey Miller and John Olsen.

Ann's Art Career

Ann Thomson sold her first painting through a gallery in Sydney. Her first art show was in 1965 at Watters Gallery. This gallery was known for showing new and exciting art. In 1977, Ann had her own show at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane.

In 1983, one of Ann's artworks, Pentaplain, was chosen for the Wynne Prize. This prize is for landscape paintings. Her painting showed both buildings and abstract shapes. It used lots of blue and green colors. Fifteen years later, she won the Wynne Prize with her painting Yellow sound. This bright yellow painting showed different ways of making marks, like drips and layers.

One of her biggest artworks was Australia Felix. This large sculpture was 11 meters wide. It was the main artwork for Australia's display at the 1992 World Expo in Seville, Spain. Later, it was moved to Sydney Darling Harbour. Ann has also won other awards, like the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize (2002).

In 2015, Ann Thomson received a special honor from the National Art School. They held an exhibition called Ann Thomson and Contemporaries. The show celebrated Ann's important place in Australian abstract art.

Ann often paints every day. She usually works on many paintings at once. She paints from her memory, not directly from real life. Her early artworks were a style called Abstract expressionism. This means they showed feelings and ideas through colors and shapes. Later, her art mixed abstract ideas with real-life things, often inspired by landscapes. Ann says she doesn't feel her art is "totally abstract." She might make something abstract, but she doesn't just paint shapes.

Ann Thomson continues to show her art. She has had solo exhibitions for over fifty years!

Awards and Recognition

Ann Thomson has won many awards for her art. Here are some of them:

• 1976: David Jones Art Prize, Brisbane
• 1981: Winner, Canberra Times National Art Award
• 1985: The Sydney Morning Herald Art Prize
• 1998: Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• 2002: Geelong Contemporary Art Prize for Change Takes Time
• 2017: Tattersalls Art Prize, Brisbane.

Major Exhibitions

Ann Thomson has had many important art shows. Here are some of her early ones:

• 1965: Watters Gallery, Sydney
• 1977: Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
• 1992: Australian Galleries, Sydney
• 1993: Art Gallery of NSW Sculpture 'Australia Felix'