Rosalie Gascoigne facts for kids

Rosalie Gascoigne (born Rosalie Norah King Walker; 25 January 1917 – 25 October 1999) was an amazing artist. She was born in New Zealand but became an Australian sculptor. Rosalie was known for making art from everyday objects.

In 1982, she showed her art at the Venice Biennale. This is a very important art show in Italy. Rosalie was the first Australian woman artist to have her work shown there. In 1994, she received a special award called the Order of Australia. This award was for her great contributions to art.

Rosalie's Early Life

Rosalie Norah King Walker was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 25 January 1917. She was one of three children. In 1937, she earned a university degree from Auckland University College.

In 1943, Rosalie moved to Canberra, Australia. There, she married Ben Gascoigne, an astronomer she had met at university. They lived in a science community called Mount Stromlo. Rosalie passed away on 25 October 1999, in Canberra.

How Rosalie Became an Artist

Rosalie spent many years raising her three children. During this time, she found comfort in making art. She started by arranging flowers in a traditional way. Later, she learned a Japanese art form called Sogetsu Ikebana. This is a very strict way of arranging flowers.

Her Ikebana work was excellent. A famous Japanese master, Sofu Teshigahara, even praised her. But by the late 1960s, Rosalie wanted to try new things. She started making sculptures from small pieces of scrap metal. Then she began creating art inside wooden boxes.

All her art was made from materials she found. She would go on trips to collect things from the hot, dry Australian landscape. At first, Australia's landscape was very different from green New Zealand. But Rosalie grew to love the "boundless space and solitude" of her new home. Much of her art shows this love for Australia. However, some of her art also reminds people of her New Zealand roots.

What Inspired Rosalie's Art

Rosalie believed her art materials "needed to have been open to the weather." This means she liked using things that had been outside. She used wood, iron, wire, and feathers. She also used yellow and orange road signs that glow in the light.

Some of her most famous works use old, faded drink crates. She also used thin slices of yellow Schweppes boxes. Other materials included torn linoleum and old enamelware. She also used building materials like corrugated iron and masonite. Even fibrous ends from cable reels became part of her art. These objects did not just show themselves. They helped people feel and experience the landscape.

Words were also important in her art. She would cut up faded letters from old items. Then she would rearrange them into abstract patterns. These patterns sometimes looked like crosswords or poetry. Rosalie loved crosswords and poetry.

She was a very smart and well-read person. Other artists like Colin McCahon and Robert Rauschenberg inspired her. She also liked the ideas of poets like William Wordsworth and Sylvia Plath. Rosalie even liked what Pablo Picasso said about art.

Over time, colors and words became less common in her art. In her last years, she made calm and peaceful artworks. These often featured white or earth-brown panels.

Rosalie worked hard into her 80s. Sometimes an assistant helped her. Even though she was very successful, her age made it hard to travel. This meant she could not build a big international audience. She did show her work overseas sometimes. This included the 1982 Venice Biennale, Switzerland, Sweden, and countries in Asia. But most of her art is still in Australia and New Zealand. Both countries are proud to call her their own. You can find great examples of Rosalie's art in many galleries in Australia and New Zealand. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also owns one of her smaller pieces.

Where to See Rosalie's Art

You can find Rosalie Gascoigne's amazing artworks in many museums. Here are some of the main places: