Elizabeth Durack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Durack
|
|
|---|---|
Durack in 1961
|
|
| Born | July 6, 1915 Perth, Western Australia
|
| Died | May 25, 2000 (aged 84) Perth, Western Australia
|
| Known for | Painting |
Elizabeth Durack Clancy (born July 6, 1915 – died May 25, 2000) was a famous artist and writer from Western Australia. She was known for her unique paintings and drawings. Elizabeth received important awards for her work, including the OBE and the CMG.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
Elizabeth Durack was born in Perth, Western Australia, on July 6, 1915. Her father, Michael Patrick Durack, was a pioneer in the Kimberley region. Elizabeth was the younger sister of Dame Mary Durack, who was also a well-known writer.
The sisters went to school at Loreto Convent in Perth. They also spent time on their family's cattle stations in the Kimberley, called Argyle Downs and Ivanhoe. There, they formed special friendships with the Mirriuwong-Gajerrong people who lived near the Ord River.
In 1936 and 1937, Elizabeth traveled to Europe. She studied art at the Chelsea Polytechnic in London, which helped her develop her skills.
Her Amazing Art
Elizabeth Durack's art was special because it mixed ideas from both Western culture and Aboriginal culture. She lived for much of her life in remote parts of Western Australia. This meant she got her ideas and inspiration from places far away from big cities and mainstream art. Her talent was very original and strong, like a plant that grows well in a tough environment.
Elizabeth Durack had her first art show in Perth in August 1946. From then until July 2000, she held 65 solo exhibitions. She also took part in many group shows with other artists. Her art changed over time, starting with simple line drawings. Later, she created more abstract works and finally, very powerful and meaningful paintings in her last years.
Some of Elizabeth's works were special prints called dyeline prints. She colored these by hand with watercolour. They showed scenes of life on a Kimberley cattle station, like Ivanhoe and Lissadell. Many of these pictures featured Aboriginal women and children. You can see four of these artworks at the National Museum of Australia.
_1997,_mixed_media_on_linen,_diptych,_each_190_x_92_cm.jpg)
Illustrations for Books
Elizabeth Durack also created illustrations for many books. Some of her earliest drawings showed Aboriginal life in Western Australia. For example, she illustrated the 1935 book "All-About: The Story of a Black Community on Argyle Station, Kimberley." She also illustrated "Who rides the river?" by JK Ewers in 1956.
In 1953, Elizabeth provided drawings for a new edition of Australian Legendary Tales. These were Aboriginal stories collected by K. Langloh Parker and edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman. This book was chosen as "Book of the Year" in 1954 by the Children's Book Council of Australia.
Elizabeth and her sister, Mary, also created a comic strip together. It was called Nungalla and Jungalla and ran from 1942 to 1943.
Awards and Recognition
Elizabeth Durack received many honors for her contributions to art and literature.
- In 1966, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
- In 1982, she became a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).
- In 1994, Murdoch University gave her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
- In 1996, the University of Western Australia also gave her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
Her Lasting Impact
Elizabeth Durack left behind a large collection of her original works. This includes artworks, writings, poems, and letters from the 1920s until her death in 2000. She held many successful art shows during her life. However, she chose not to sell some of her most important works, which are still part of her estate today.
After she passed away, her family and friends organized more exhibitions of her art:
- The Art of Eddie Burrup was shown in London in July 2000.
- Prelude — Early works by Elizabeth Durack 1947–50 was a traveling exhibition in 2002–2003.
- Other shows included paintings from her series Battle Cries (1978) and Bett-Bett's wonderful lonely palace ... (1985).
- With outstretched arms ... showed works about the Kimberley Sisters of St John of God in places like Broome and Derby.
Elizabeth Durack was also interviewed and featured on many radio and TV shows, including 60 Minutes. In 2016, a book of her selected writings was published, edited by Perpetua Durack Clancy. This book shares more about her art and life.
See also
- Mary Durack
- Michael Durack
