Miriam Stannage facts for kids

Miriam Stannage (1939–2016) was an Australian artist. She was known for her paintings, prints, and photographs. Miriam showed her art in many places, both by herself and with other artists. She won several awards during her career. Her work was also shown in big art events called Biennales and in special shows that looked back at her whole career.

About Miriam Stannage

Miriam Stannage was born in 1939 in Northam, Western Australia. Her parents were Helen and James Stannage. Her younger brother, Tom Stannage (1944–2012), became a historian. In 1943, Miriam and her parents moved to Perth. Miriam lived in Perth for most of her life. She started her art career there, learning on her own.

When she was 15, Miriam left school to work as a secretary. Later, she studied to be a nurse. In 1962 and 1963, Miriam traveled a lot. She visited countries in Europe, the USA, and Canada. When she came back, she started taking art classes. She studied at the University of Western Australia (UWA) with artists like William Boissevain and Henry Froudist.

In 1965, Miriam opened her own art gallery in Perth, called Rhode Gallery. She worked and showed her art there for two years. During this time, she became a Secretary for the Western Australian Contemporary Art Society. After her first solo art shows in Perth, Miriam started teaching art in 1971. She taught for the Education Department of Western Australia.

In 1980, Miriam married Tom Gibbons, who was also an artist and a teacher at UWA. They worked together for 30 years. They helped support the art scene in Perth. In July 2016, a book about Miriam's life and art was published. Miriam Stannage passed away shortly after, on September 11, 2016.

Miriam's Art Career

Miriam Stannage worked as an artist for almost 50 years. She created many different types of art. This included collages, photographs, prints, and works that used text. Miriam became well-known after her art was shown in the 1982 Sydney Biennale and the 1992 Adelaide Biennale. She also had solo shows at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Miriam received an honorary degree from Curtin University. She was also named a ‘State Living Treasure’ in Western Australia. Over her career, Miriam won several awards. These included the Albany Art Prize and the Georges Invitation Art Prize for drawing. She also got to be an artist-in-residence at the Power Institute in Paris. Seven of Miriam's artworks are part of the Cruthers Collection of Women's Art.

Miriam liked to use simple shapes and not too many details in her art. Instead, she often used text and collages. People have said she had a "minimalist" style, meaning she kept things simple.

Her art often focused on current events and news. She would use pictures and words from newspapers and magazines in new ways. Miriam made a lot of art. Her works always kept a collage look. They were also based on her ideas about life, death, and finding meaning. Her art often explored difficult feelings, especially the strong emotions from conflicts, destruction, and disasters.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Miriam focused her art on this event. She made works about how random terrorist attacks can be. She also explored the mix of everyday life and death. For example, she made a collection of postage stamps. These stamps showed things like a clock face frozen at the exact moment of impact.

When Miriam passed away in 2016, her art was held in many important collections. These included the Australian National Gallery in Canberra. Her art was also in the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Selected Art Shows

Miriam Stannage's art was shown in many exhibitions. Here are a few examples:

• 1969
  • Miriam Stannage: Solo, Old Fire Station Gallery, Perth, Western Australia.
• 1974
  • Miriam Stannage: Solo, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney.
• 1989
  • Perception: Miriam Stannage, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne.
• 2006
  • Sensations: Miriam Stannage, John Curtin Gallery, Perth.
• 2016
  • Miriam Stannage: Survey 2006–2016, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia, Perth.