Bea Maddock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bea Maddock
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Bea Maddock in 1976
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| Born |
Beatrice Louise Maddock
13 September 1934 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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| Died | 9 April 2016 (aged 81) Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Slade School of Art |
| Known for | Painting, Printmaking |
Beatrice Louise "Bea" Maddock was an important Australian artist. She was known for her amazing prints and artworks. Bea was born on September 13, 1934, and passed away on April 9, 2016.
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Bea Maddock's Life Story
Bea Maddock was born in Hobart, Tasmania. She first studied art education at the University of Tasmania. After that, she taught art to high school students in Hobart.
Studying Art Around the World
Bea then traveled to London to study at the Slade School of Art. She learned from famous teachers like William Coldstream. Bea also visited many countries in Europe, including Paris, Italy, and Germany. She was very interested in the work of the German Expressionists. These artists used strong colors and shapes to show feelings. Their style really influenced Bea's own art. On her way back to Australia, she even stopped in Bombay, India.
Teaching and Moving Around Australia
When Bea returned to Australia, she taught art in Launceston, Tasmania. Later, she moved to Victoria. For several years starting in 1970, she taught printmaking at the Victorian College of the Arts. In 1983–84, she became the Head of the School of Art in Launceston. Bea was also a special artist at the Australian National University in Canberra in 1976.
Facing Challenges and Adventures
Bea Maddock lived and worked in Mount Macedon, Victoria. But in 1983, a big event happened. The terrible Ash Wednesday bushfires forced her to leave her home. Her house, art studio, and many years of her artwork were all destroyed. After this, she moved back to her home state of Tasmania.
In 1987, Bea joined a special program called 'Artists in Antarctica'. She traveled with other artists to the icy continent. During this trip, she had an accident on Heard Island. She badly broke her leg, which made it hard for her to move around for several years.
Special Recognition
In 1991, Bea Maddock received a very important award. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This award recognized her great contributions to art and art education in Australia.
Bea Maddock's Amazing Artworks
Bea Maddock is most famous for her printmaking. She had a huge impact on how modern printmaking was done in Australia. She often mixed printmaking with other art forms. These included encaustic painting, which uses heated wax, and installation art, which creates a whole experience for the viewer.
Exploring Australian Themes
Through her art, Bea explored many important topics. She looked at the natural environment of Australia. She also focused on Aboriginal culture and the history of Australia.
Where Her Art Can Be Seen
Bea won many awards for her art. Her works are displayed in major galleries around the world. You can find her art in the National Gallery of Australia. Her pieces are also in all the State galleries across Australia. Even the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the USA's National Gallery in Washington have her work.
Her Masterpiece: Terra Spiritus
One of Bea Maddock's most important works is called 'Terra Spiritus... With a Darker Shade of Pale'. This huge artwork has 51 parts. It is an etching that shows the entire coastline of Tasmania. Each part of the coastline is labeled with both its English name and its Aboriginal Tasmanian name. Bea even used special pigments (colors) made from natural Tasmanian ochres to create the drawing.
Cataloging Her Works
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston is working on a special book. It's called a catalogue raisonné. This book will list and describe almost 1,000 artworks that Bea Maddock created between 1952 and 1983.
Exhibitions and Collections
Bea Maddock's art has been shown in many exhibitions. Her work is also part of important art collections.
Selected Exhibitions
Some of her individual art shows include:
- Ingles Building, Launceston, Tasmania: 1964
- Crossley Gallery, Melbourne: 1967, 1968, 1971
- Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania: 1970
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne: 1975 (Three Printmakers)
- National Art Gallery of New Zealand, Wellington: 1982-83 (a traveling show of her past works)
- Australian National Gallery, Canberra: 1992-93 (Being and Nothingness, another traveling show)
Art in Collections
Her artworks are held in the collections of:
- National Gallery of Victoria (with 92 of her works!)
- National Gallery of Australia
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Museum of Modern Art
- National Gallery of Canada
- Te Papa (Museum of New Zealand)
- Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at UWA
See also
- Art of Australia
