Diana Thorneycroft facts for kids

Diana Thorneycroft (born 1956) is a Canadian artist who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her amazing artwork has been shown all over Canada and in many other countries too! She mainly creates art using photography, drawing, and sculpture or installations.

Diana is famous for taking photos of small, staged scenes called dioramas. She uses these scenes to explore big ideas like what it means to be Canadian and how we see famous Canadian symbols, like the Group of Seven painters. She also taught art at the University of Manitoba for 25 years, helping many young artists learn and grow.

Learning and Inspiration

Diana Thorneycroft studied art at two different universities. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1980. Before that, she got her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the University of Manitoba in 1979.

Early in her career, Diana was inspired by artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Hieronymus Bosch. But in the mid-1980s, something changed her art path. A friend showed her a book of photographs by Joel-Peter Witkin. This book made her want to start using a camera to create her own unique art.

Art Shows and Exhibits

Diana Thorneycroft's art has been displayed in many places. You can find her work in galleries across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Her art has even traveled to cities like Moscow, Tokyo, and Sydney!

In 2022, she created a special art piece called Herd. This was a mixed-media installation that included a huge 40-foot ramp. On the ramp, she placed over 150 toy horses! About half of these horses were changed or altered by Diana to make them unique. When she talked about the show, Diana explained how she uses stand-ins or "surrogates" in her art to explore what it means to be human.

Exploring Her Artworks

Canadians and Americans (best friends forever … it's complicated)

This series of digital photographs explores the relationship between Canada and the United States. Diana looks at important moments and famous people from both countries' histories. She uses her art to show how the two neighboring countries have a complex and sometimes unbalanced connection. This collection was shown at the Michael Gibson Gallery in London, Ontario in October 2013.

A People's History

In A People's History, Diana Thorneycroft created a series of photographs based on dioramas. These dioramas explore difficult moments and challenges faced by vulnerable people in Canada's past. Her art helps us think about these important parts of history.

Group of Seven Awkward Moments

This photographic series was made between 2007 and 2010. Diana uses a type of humor called black humor to look at how the famous Canadian landscape has shaped our idea of Canadian identity. In these artworks, she creates dioramas of historical scenes that are part of Canadian symbols. She then places these dioramas in front of backgrounds that are reproductions of paintings by The Group of Seven. It makes for some truly "awkward moments"!

There Must Be 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover

This series of drawings explores how popular cartoon characters behave in tough situations. Diana uses these familiar characters to make us think about how conflict and challenging events are shown in the media.

The Canadiana Martyrdom Series

In this series of photographs, Diana uses everyday items that represent Canadian tourism, identity, and culture. She uses these items to discuss serious topics, making us think about how we react to human suffering and important events.

Where You Can See Her Art

Diana Thorneycroft's artwork is part of many public art collections. This means her art is owned by museums and galleries, so people can visit and see it. Some of the places that have her work include:

• Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario
• National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
• Nickle Galleries, Calgary, Alberta
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Awards and Recognition

Diana Thorneycroft has received many awards for her amazing contributions to art.

• In 2001, she earned a Fleck Fellowship from the Banff Centre for the Arts.
• In 2012, she received a Major Arts Grant from the Manitoba Arts Council and an Individual Artist Grant from the Winnipeg Arts Council.
• In 2016, Diana was given the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction by the Manitoba Arts Council. This is the highest honor the council gives to outstanding artists from Manitoba who have achieved great things over a long time. As part of this award, she received $30,000!