Del Kathryn Barton facts for kids

Del Kathryn Barton (born 11 December 1972) is a famous Australian artist. She started drawing when she was very young and later studied art at UNSW Art & Design in Sydney. She is known for her colorful and imaginative artworks, which she has shown in many exhibitions in Australia and other countries.

Del Kathryn Barton has won the Archibald Prize twice, in 2008 and 2013. This is a very important award for portrait painting in Australia. In 2015, her animated film Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and the Rose also won an award for Best Australian Short Film.

Growing Up and Art

Del Kathryn Barton grew up in the countryside near the Blue Mountains in Australia. Art was very important to her from a young age, helping her express herself and explore her imagination. She loved to draw a lot, creating pictures of fairies, animals, nature, and maps. She also drew female figures and other subjects.

In 1990, she started studying at the UNSW Art & Design. She was already a talented artist when she began her studies. After finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1993, she even worked as a teacher at the college for a few years.

Her Art Career

Del Kathryn Barton had her first art exhibition in 1995. Since then, she has had many solo exhibitions in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

Some of her solo exhibitions include:

• The Nightingale and the Rose at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne (2016).
• the highway is a disco in Singapore (2015).
• Electro Orchid at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Sydney (2014).
• The Nightingale and the Rose at Heide Museum of Modern Art (2012).

Winning the Archibald Prize

On 7 March 2008, Del Kathryn Barton won the Archibald Prize for her portrait called You are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella. This painting was a self-portrait with her two children. She said the painting showed her love for her children and how they changed her life. Being a mother is a big inspiration for her art.

In 2013, she won the Archibald Prize again. This time, it was for her portrait of the actor Hugo Weaving. She has also been a finalist for the Archibald Prize in 2008, 2013, and 2018.

Group Exhibitions

Del Kathryn Barton has also shown her art in many group exhibitions with other artists. These include:

• Like-ness in New York, USA (2016).
• Express Yourself: Romance Was Born for Kids at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (2014).
• Dark Heart at the Adelaide Biennale of Australian Art (2014).
• Theatre of the World at the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania (2012).

Animated Film Work

Del Kathryn Barton created an animated film called Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and the Rose. It was first shown at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in 2015 and later at the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival. The film won the Film Victoria Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film.

In 2020, her sculpture the infinite adjustment of the throat...and then, a smile was part of the "Know my name: Australian women artists 1900 to now" exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia.

Her Artistic Style

Del Kathryn Barton's paintings often look like fantasies. They include female figures mixed with flowers and plants. She also uses digital collages and adds materials like glitter and sequins to her artworks.

She usually starts a new artwork by making a drawing. This drawing might be about an emotion, a gesture, or something from a dream. Then, she turns these drawings into very detailed and patterned paintings. She often works on several paintings at the same time, and each one can take many months to finish.

Movies

In 2022, Del Kathryn Barton's first movie as a director, Blaze, was released. She also helped write the script for the film. Blaze tells the story of a young girl with a very active imagination who is dealing with a difficult experience.

Del Kathryn Barton and Huna Amweero won an award for Best Feature Film - Original for their script for Blaze at the 2022 AWGIE Awards. The script also won the 2023 Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.

Where to See Her Art

Del Kathryn Barton's artworks are held in important art galleries across Australia:

• National Gallery of Australia
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• QAGOMA (Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art), Brisbane
• Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Images for kids

• Del Kathryn Barton 2008 exhibition Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne
• Del Kathryn Barton 2005 exhibition Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne

Videos

• Del Kathryn Barton, Wilderness exhibition
• Behind the scenes of ARTIST PROFILE Issue 15's cover shoot, inside Barton's studio