Douglas MacDiarmid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Douglas MacDiarmid
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MacDiarmid in c. 1990
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Douglas Kerr MacDiarmid
14 November 1922 Taihape, New Zealand
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| Died | 26 August 2020 (aged 97) Paris, France
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| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Occupation | Painter |
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| Relatives | Alan MacDiarmid (cousin) |
Douglas Kerr MacDiarmid (born 14 November 1922, died 26 August 2020) was a talented painter from New Zealand. He was known for using many different styles and for his amazing use of colour. Douglas MacDiarmid was part of important art movements in the 1900s. He lived in Paris, France, for most of his life as an artist.
Douglas MacDiarmid's Life
Douglas MacDiarmid was born in Taihape, a town in the middle of New Zealand's North Island. His father, Gordon Napier MacDiarmid, was a country doctor and surgeon. His mother, Mary Frances, was a schoolteacher. Douglas was born in his family home, which was above his father's medical office.
He went to boarding school at Huntley School and Timaru Boys' High School. Later, he studied literature, languages, music, and philosophy at Canterbury University College. His studies were paused when he served in the army and air force during World War II.
Douglas did not have formal art training. However, older artists from a group called The Group helped him learn. This group was changing New Zealand art and culture. Douglas was very involved with them from 1940 to 1946.
After the war, in 1946, Douglas left New Zealand to become an artist. He taught and painted in London and France. He came back to New Zealand for a year in 1949–50. Then he returned to France and stayed there for the rest of his life. He still had art shows in New Zealand and visited often. Douglas MacDiarmid passed away in Paris on 26 August 2020, when he was 97 years old.
Douglas MacDiarmid was a cousin of Alan MacDiarmid, a famous New Zealand scientist. Alan MacDiarmid won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000. The next year, Douglas painted a portrait of his cousin for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.
Douglas's childhood home in Taihape is now a bed and breakfast called Magpie Manor.
His Career as an Artist
From 1952, Douglas MacDiarmid worked as a full-time artist in Paris. He also wrote poetry. He didn't stick to just one style of painting. He created many different types of art, including:
- Landscapes (pictures of nature)
- Cityscapes (pictures of cities)
- Portraits (pictures of people)
- Figures (pictures of human shapes)
- Abstract art (art that doesn't show real objects)
Many of his paintings were inspired by his travels around the world. He had successful art shows in France, London, Athens, New York, and Casablanca.
In 1990, Douglas MacDiarmid came back to New Zealand for the country's 150th birthday celebrations. The government at the time called him a "New Zealand living cultural treasure." Another artist, Jacqueline Fahey, painted his portrait for the new New Zealand Portrait Gallery.
MacDiarmid painted portraits of other famous artists like Rita Angus and Theo Schoon. His paintings are owned by governments in France and New Zealand, and by many public and private art collections worldwide. These include collections in the United States, England, Greece, and even the collection of the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
In 2016, two of his paintings sold for over $27,000 each. This was a record price for his art at the time. These sales were part of the Tim and Sherrah Francis Collection auction, which was the highest-earning art auction in New Zealand history.
Douglas MacDiarmid also created drawings for a book of poems. The book, called In the mirror, and dancing (2017), was written by New Zealand Poet Laureate C. K. Stead.
A book about Douglas MacDiarmid's life, called Colours of a Life - the life and times of Douglas MacDiarmid by Anna Cahill, was published in 2018. Art experts have praised this book for bringing attention to his important work.
Art Exhibitions
Douglas MacDiarmid had many art exhibitions throughout his career. He showed his work in various galleries and cities around the world, starting in New Zealand and then expanding to Europe and beyond.
Some of his early shows included:
- 1945: Exhibited with The Group in Christchurch.
- 1950: Had his first solo show at Helen Hitchings Gallery in Wellington.
- 1952: His first solo exhibition in France, called Aquarelle, at Galerie Morihien in Paris.
- 1964: Was the first painter to exhibit at the opening of New Zealand House in London.
He continued to have exhibitions regularly in Paris, London, and New Zealand, as well as in other countries like Greece, Morocco, and the United States. His later exhibitions included:
- 1990: A special exhibition for New Zealand's 150th anniversary, called Light Release, in Wellington.
- 1999–2002: A 50th-anniversary retrospective show called Retrospective 1948–1998 – From the Artist's Studio.
- 2017: The Gus Fisher Gallery at the University of Auckland showed his work covering six decades.
- 2018: The New Zealand Portrait Gallery held an exhibition called Colours of a Life: Douglas MacDiarmid. This show celebrated his life and art, focusing on his portraits and use of vibrant colour.
