Virginia Cuppaidge facts for kids

Virginia Cuppaidge, born in 1943, is an Australian artist. She is known for her abstract expressionist paintings. She lived and worked in New York for nearly 50 years. Then she moved back to Australia. Since 1965, Cuppaidge has shown her art in over 33 exhibitions. These shows were in Australia, the USA, and Canada.

About Virginia Cuppaidge

Virginia Cuppaidge was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 1943. She was the middle child of Russell and Judy Cuppaidge. Later, she moved to Sydney. There, she earned a Master of Fine Art degree from the Mary White School of Art. She lived in New York from 1968 until 2017. Then she returned to Australia and settled in Newcastle, New South Wales.

How Her Art Journey Began

Virginia's mother was a botanical painter. She also loved textiles. This influenced Virginia from a young age. In the 1960s, Virginia tried working with textiles. But soon, she became very interested in painting.

She studied art in Sydney with several famous artists. These included Desiderius Orban, Stanislaus Rapotec, Marea Gazzard, John Olsen, and Robert Klippel. In 1969, she moved to New York City.

When she arrived in New York, she contacted Australian sculptor Clement Meadmore. They became a couple that year. Meadmore helped Cuppaidge find a studio. There, she started creating her large, geometric abstract paintings.

Developing Her Artistic Style

Virginia Cuppaidge had her first solo art show in 1973. It was at the A. M. Sachs Gallery in New York. A famous art critic, Clement Greenberg, was very impressed. He said her work showed "sophisticated maturity."

In 1974, Cuppaidge returned to Australia. She brought many of her artworks with her. These were shown at Gallery A in Sydney. The Bulletin, an Australian magazine, called her art "handsome, no compromise works." They admired her "boldness of conception."

Awards and Recognition

In 1976, Cuppaidge received a special award. It was a Guggenheim Fellowship. This award helps artists and scholars with their work. She also received a grant from the Australia Council. This helped her with studio costs in New York.

While living in New York, Cuppaidge regularly showed her art. She had exhibitions in both the United States and Australia. In 1993, she exhibited with another Australian artist, Judith Cotton. Their show was at the Wagner Gallery in Hong Kong.

Where You Can See Her Art

Virginia Cuppaidge's artwork is held in many important collections. These include:

• The National Gallery of Australia
• The Art Gallery of New South Wales
• The Australian Consulate General in New York
• The Jazz Museum in Harlem, New York
• Australian Embassies around the world
• The Neuberger Museum in New York

In 1976, Geoffrey de Groen interviewed Cuppaidge. This interview is part of the Oral History Collection. It is kept at the National Library of Australia.