Colin Middleton facts for kids

Colin Middleton MBE (born January 29, 1910 – died December 23, 1983) was a famous artist from Northern Ireland. He painted landscapes and people, and was known for his surrealist art. Middleton created many artworks using different modern styles. His art showed his deep inner thoughts and his interest in everyday people's lives. Many people called him "Ireland's greatest surrealist artist."

Early Life and Art Training

Colin Middleton was born in 1910 in Belfast, Ireland. He was the only child of Charles Middleton, who designed patterns for fabric. Colin went to Belfast Royal Academy until 1927. After that, he took evening classes at Belfast School of Art. There, he learned design from an artist named Newton Penprase.

Colin's father loved European Modernism, especially Impressionism. Because of this, Colin found his art college too old-fashioned.

Starting His Art Career

Middleton first showed his art with the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1931. He often exhibited his paintings there until the late 1940s. People first noticed his work at the Ulster Unit's first exhibition in Belfast in 1933. The Ulster Unit was a group of artists who were inspired by Paul Nash's Unit One group.

In 1935, Middleton married Maye McLain, who was also an artist. Sadly, she died just four years later. Colin was also a poet and writer. He and Maye were active in the Northern Drama League in the 1930s, where he designed stage sets. After his first wife died, he destroyed his early paintings. He then spent time alone at his mother's house near Belfast.

Middleton became a fan of Van Gogh and James Ensor. He saw their art in London and Belgium. When he returned to Ulster, he tried new art styles. These were very different from traditional art. In the 1930s, he also followed artists like Paul Nash and Edward Wadsworth. After seeing works by Salvador Dali, Middleton said he was "the only surrealist painter working in Ireland."

Exhibitions and New Beginnings

Middleton's art first appeared at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1938. He showed his work there many times until the end of his life. In late 1940, he had a joint exhibition in Belfast to help the war effort. After the Belfast Blitz bombings, Middleton painted three pictures. The trauma stopped him from working for six months. In 1941, his work was in a book of prints. This book raised money to rebuild a hospital destroyed in the Blitz.

Middleton's first solo art show was at the Belfast Municipal Gallery and Museum in 1943. It was the first show there after the Belfast Blitz. It was also the largest solo show the gallery had ever held. It featured 115 of his artworks. Middleton said these paintings tried to bring together "opposing ideas in human nature."

During this time, Middleton often painted women. These paintings showed his experiences in Belfast and the hard lives many people faced. Examples include The Poet’s Garden (1943) and The Conspirators (1942). These were both in his 1943 exhibition. The female form in his art often represented the landscape and life itself.

After Belfast, he had his first solo show at the Grafton Gallery in Dublin in 1944. The next year, he showed art at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art. He returned to this exhibition many times.

In 1945, Middleton married Kate Giddens. That same year, he had another solo exhibition at the Belfast Museum. Middleton also helped start the Northern Ireland branch of the Artists International Association. Other members included George Campbell and Gerard Dillon.

International Recognition and New Influences

In 1947, Middleton's art was shown in New York. It was part of a selection of works by Northern Irish artists. That year, Middleton also left his family business to paint full-time. He had worked there since his father died in 1933. He then lived and worked on a farm commune in Suffolk for a short time. He returned to Belfast in 1948. Although living in Suffolk was hard for his family, working the land deeply influenced his future art.

In 1949, Middleton showed his first works at the Oireachtas festival. He continued to show art there until 1977. After returning from Suffolk, his wife sent photos of his art to Victor Waddington, an art dealer. Waddington then represented Middleton for five years. Waddington's support allowed the Middleton family to live in Ardglass, County Down, for four years starting in 1949. Middleton later called this the happiest time of his life. When his art was shown at Waddington's Dublin gallery, it helped his work reach a global audience. Group exhibitions in Boston and London followed in 1950 and 1951.

In 1952, Middleton had his first solo show at London's Tooth Gallery. The Studio magazine wrote that Middleton was "one of the few Irish painters who can claim more than local significance." They praised his rich colors and strong tones.

Teaching and Later Works

In 1953, Middleton moved to Bangor. He designed sets for plays there, and later for the Lyric Theatres in Belfast. This included sets for WB Yeats' plays in 1970 and Sean O'Casey's Red Roses for Me in 1972. In 1952, Middleton exhibited with other artists like Daniel O'Neill in London.

Middleton started teaching art in 1954 at the Belfast College of Art. The next year, he taught full-time at Coleraine Technical School. In 1961, he became head of art at Friends' School, Lisburn, where he stayed until 1970. He lived next door to fellow artist Dennis Osborne in Lisburn for nine years.

Middleton was also a poet and musician. He created murals, mosaics, and posters. One mural was for a house in Ballymena in 1951. He also made a mosaic for a school in Lisburn and a mural in a health clinic. He showed his art in many group shows in the 1950s, including the Royal Academy in 1955. He also had more solo shows. The Dublin Magazine wrote about one show: "Apart from the brilliance of his paint, he has one rare quality in his inexhaustible capacity for wonder."

In 1965, Middleton showed art at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's gallery. His Bruges Series was shown in 1966 after a trip to Belgium. In 1967, a fire at the Arts Council's storage facility destroyed many of Middleton's paintings. Other artists' works were also lost. Middleton won an award at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's 4th Open Painting Exhibition in 1968. That same year, his paintings were shown with TP Flanagan's at the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry.

The Arts Council held a joint exhibition of Middleton's work in 1970. A major exhibition followed at the Ulster Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art Dublin in 1976. This show had almost 300 artworks. It came with a book written by his friend, the poet John Hewitt. Hewitt later gave his art collection, including Middleton's paintings, to the Ulster Museum.

In 1971, the Royal Mail used Middleton's painting of Slieve na Brock in the Mourne Mountains on a postage stamp. This was to celebrate the Ulster '71 exhibition. In 1972, Middleton traveled with his wife to Australia for two months. He showed paintings from this trip in Belfast the next year. In 1973, he visited Barcelona. Later, he showed surrealist works inspired by these trips.

Middleton lived his last twelve years in Bangor, County Down.

Death and Legacy

Ulster History Circle's blue plaque at Colin Middleton's former home at 6 Victoria Road, Bangor, County Down

Colin Middleton passed away from leukaemia in Belfast in December 1983. His wife Kate, their daughter, and a step-daughter survived him. His son had passed away a year before him. In 1985, Christie's of London sold his studio works. These works were shown in Dublin and Belfast before the auction. In 2005, the Ulster History Circle placed a blue plaque at Middleton's former home in Bangor. This plaque remembers him.

In the 1970s, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland made a film about Middleton called Trace of a Thorn. The Belfast poet Michael Longley wrote and narrated it. Middleton's art can be seen in many private and public collections. These include the Ulster Museum, Irish Museum of Modern Art, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery. His works are also in the National Gallery of Ireland and Oxford University.

Awards and Recognition

Middleton won the Royal Dublin Society's Taylor Scholarship in 1932. It was worth £50. He won two more awards of £10 in 1933. In 1935, Middleton became an associate of the Ulster Academy. In 1948, he became a full Academician there.

In 1968, he received the MBE honor from the Queen. In 1969, Middleton became an associate at the Royal Hibernian Academy. He gained full membership just one year later. Queen's University, Belfast gave him an honorary Master of Arts degree in 1972. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland gave Middleton a large award in 1970. This allowed him to stop teaching for two years and focus on painting full-time. That same year, the Arts Council also asked him to paint a portrait of their director, Kenneth Jamison.

See also

• List of Northern Irish artists