Micky Allan facts for kids

Micky Allan (born 1944) is an Australian artist. She creates many types of art. This includes paintings, drawings, and photography. She also makes engraved glass and art installations. Micky Allan is known for her important talks. She has spoken about art and women's rights. She has given speeches in galleries across Australia.

About Micky Allan

Micky Allan was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1944. She lived in Japan from age two to six. Then her family moved back to Melbourne. Micky went to the Melbourne Church of England Girls Grammar School. She won a scholarship to study in the U.S. In 1961, she attended a girls' school in Kansas City. This school held her very first art show. Her paintings were part of a national art contest.

After returning from Kansas, Micky studied Fine Arts. She went to the University of Melbourne in 1963. In 1965, she started a painting course. This was at the National Gallery of Victoria Painting School. She felt it was hard to earn a living from art. So, she started taking photos in 1974. This happened after she joined a group of women artists. Her housemate, Virginia Coventry, taught her how to process photos. In the late 1970s, she moved to Sydney. She focused on her own art projects. In the early 1980s, she returned to painting. She finished her advanced studies in painting in 2014. This was at the Australian National University.

Micky Allan's Artworks

Before photography, Micky Allan was a painter. In the mid-1970s, she made special photos. These were black-and-white prints that she coloured by hand. Many Australian women artists used this method. Hand-colouring meant adding colour to photos. Artists used paints or dyes. This made the photos last longer. It also made each photo unique. It turned photography into a way to express creativity.

Micky Allan's first hand-coloured works were of her friend Laurel in 1975. The next year, she started a series called Babies. This series looked at different stages of life. The photos are close-ups of babies' faces. She added small touches of pencil colours. These works were shown at the National Gallery of Australia. Micky continued exploring life stages. In 1978, she created the Old Age series. These were close-up photos of elderly people. Micky showed the natural process of aging. Her work made people think about human life. It has been shown in many galleries.

Photography Projects

Micky Allan has worked on many photography projects. In 1974, she joined an art group. It was at the Pram Factory in Melbourne. She helped with sets, costumes, and posters. Then she photographed the performances. Her housemate, Virginia Coventry, taught her photography. After that, Micky started taking photos seriously. She took pictures for magazines. Soon, she became a well-known female photographer. Her first photo show was in 1974. It featured black-and-white photos.

My Trip Series

The series My Trip shows Micky Allan's road trip. In 1975, she traveled alone for 17 days. She drove through the countryside in Victoria. She met people and recorded their talks. She photographed them in their everyday lives. This series showed how women were seen when traveling alone.

Botany Bay Today Series

In 1980, Micky Allan explored Botany Bay. Her work showed nature next to factories. The black-and-white photos were mostly views near the bay. Some photos included hand-painted flowers. She wanted to show the difference between nature and industry. This work was shown at the NGV in 1980. It made people think about how industry affects the coast.

In 2010, Micky Allan went back to Botany Bay. She found that the area looked even worse. Her new series is called Botany Bay 2010. It uses colour photography. This series has been shown in galleries across Australia. In 2022, Micky Allan's work, Micky's Room, was part of a big exhibition. It was called "Know my name: Australian women artists 1900 to now." This show was at the National Gallery of Australia.