Arthur Boyd
Arthur Boyd Australian of the Year (1995) |
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Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd
Boyd was a member of the Antipodeans, a group of Melbourne painters that also included Clifton Pugh, David Boyd, John Brack, Robert Dickerson, John Perceval and Charles Blackman.
The
In 1993, Arthur and Yvonne Boyd gave family properties comprising 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) at Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River to the people of Australia. Held in trust, Boyd later donated further property, artwork, and the copyright to all of his work.
Early years and background
Boyd was born at
Career
Military service
Boyd (Service number V101720)[citation needed] was 20 when conscripted to serve in the militia[citation needed] from 12 May 1941 until 25 March 1944.[citation needed] Initially serving with the 2nd Cavalry Division, which later became the 2nd Armoured Division (Australia),[citation needed] Boyd was transferred to the 4th Division (Australia) for full time service, and then Army Headquarters Cartography Company.[citation needed] Boyd predominantly served in the Bendigo area[citation needed] as a cartographer. Boyd's expressionistic wartime paintings included images of disabled people and those considered unfit to serve. These works have been described as depicting "the dispossessed and the outcast".[5][6]
Artistic career
Following the war, Boyd, together with
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Boyd traveled to Victoria's
The Bride paintings are among the greatest expressions of conscience by an Australian artist. Brilliantly executed and of sustained quality, Reflected Bride 1 speaks to contemporary Australia, beseeching reconciliation, understanding and a tolerant, compassionate meeting of old and new cultures.
Boyd’s paintings are not pretty, however, and carry a pervasive magical and somewhat menacing atmosphere. It is as if the figures and the landscape are one. The bride rises from the stream, an Ophelia caught by a groom whose foot hooks a tree. The bride is staring at an absurd mask-like white bride’s head which appears to glow out of the forest. This is a surreal wilderness, a strange place of nightmarish dreams.
In 1956, Boyd's ceramic sculpture 'Olympic Pylon' was installed in the forecourt of the Melbourne Olympic Swimming Pool.[9]
Relocates to Europe
Boyd represented Australia with Arthur Streeton at the Venice Biennale in 1958, where his Bride series was well received.[10]
He was affiliated with the Antipodeans, a group of painters founded in 1959 and supported by Australian art historian Bernard Smith, who tried to promote figurative art when abstract painting and sculpture was dominant. The group exhibited at the Whitechapel gallery in London.[2] In 1959 Boyd and his family moved to London, where he remained until 1971.[2] In London, he started receiving commissions for ballet and opera set designs, and, after taking up etching and returning to ceramic painting, in 1966 he began the Nebuchadnezzar[11] series in response to the Vietnam War[5] as a statement of the human condition. While in London, Boyd entered another distinct period with his works themed around the idea of metamorphosis.
He produced several series of works, including a collection of fifteen
Return to Australia
The recipient of a Creative Arts Fellowship from the Australian National University, in 1971 Boyd and his family returned to Australia as one of Australia's most highly regarded artists. In 1975, Boyd donated several thousand works including pastels, sculptures, ceramics, etchings, tapestries, paintings and drawings to the National Gallery of Australia.[5][8]
In 1978, Arthur and Yvonne Boyd purchased properties and settled permanently at Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River. The following year, ABC TV and BBC TV co-produced the television documentary film, A Man of Two Worlds, based on Boyd's life and work.[12] During the latter part of Boyd's painting career, his landscape works were based on the Shoalhaven River.[5] At first encounter, Boyd was a little overwhelmed to paint the area; he found the scenery rugged and wild, vastly different from the landscapes he knew. But over the years, painting scenes of the Shoalhaven River and the surrounding bushland, he befriended the formidable landscape. This resulted in a significant series of paintings that are not simply landscapes but rather, a fusion of Boyd's European and Australian backgrounds.[13]
"His Australian scapegoat
Boyd again represented Australia at the 1988 Venice Biennale with eight major works; and at the 2000 Venice Biennale. Boyd was commissioned to paint Earth and Fire for the cover of the 28 November 1988
Final years
A major retrospective of Boyd's work was exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1993.[2][16]
In 1997 for the first time Boyd exhibited together with the six members of his artistic dynasty under one roof; with brothers David and Guy, son Jamie, and nieces Lenore and Tessa Perceval. The exhibition entitled the Best of Boyd comprised 80 paintings and 40 bronze sculptures. The exhibition was held in Galeria Aniela Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park, NSW. Documentary reviews were shown on the ABC TV Australian National News, 18 May 1997 and the ABC TV Sunday Afternoon, June 1997.
Boyd died in 1999 at 78 years of age, and was buried at Brighton General Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Yvonne, their son Jamie, and daughters Polly and Lucy.
Bundanon Trust
In 1993 the Australian Government accepted the gift of Bundanon, valued at the time at A$20 million. The 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) property owned by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd was given to the people of Australia. Located approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Nowra, the gift was entrusted to the Bundanon Trust, along with further gifts by Boyd, including copyright of all of his artwork, and several thousand works of art from five generations of Boyds, and other Australian artists. These properties provide an environment that promotes visual arts, writing, music and other performing arts, and the promotion of education and research in the arts.[17]
Directors
Current and past directors and Board members include:
Bundanon Trust artists in residence
- Steve Lopes
- Josh Foley 2016
- Jennifer Joseph 2003
Bundanon Trust musicians in residence
- Marshall McGuire 2003
Bundanon Trust poets in residence
- Eileen Chong 2016
Technique
Boyd was a master at manipulating elements to express himself. He developed new techniques when he was still a teenager and later changed technique depending on his preferred style, media, location and what he was depicting.[citation needed]
He would often use loose strokes of thickly coated brushes. He applied paint with his fingers and palm because it is quicker, while the body contact directly connected him with the painting. He believed this allowed for a greater sense of freedom and pleasure from the act of painting.[citation needed] --
Honours and awards
Boyd was appointed an Officer of the
In 1995, the Prime Minister announced Boyd as Australian of the Year for his contribution to Australian art and his generosity to the Australian people.[22]
Australia Post honoured Boyd in 1998 with a series of postage stamps produced with his photo and examples of his work.[23][24]
On 24 July 2010, Google celebrated Arthur Boyd's 90th Birthday with a doodle.[25]
Notable sales of works
- 2000: Dreaming Bridegroom I (1957) sold for A$957,000.
- 2000: Mourning Bride I (1958) sold for A$833,000.
- 2011: Frightened Bridegroom (1958) sold for A$1.2 million.[26]
- 2012: Dry Creek Bed, Alice Springs (1953–54) sold for A$1.2 million.[26]
- 2012: Bride Running Away (1957) sold for A$1.68 million, setting a new record for a Boyd work.[26][27]
Selected works
Boyd's subjects were often mythical, realistic, malformed people and monsters, depicting a tragic drama.[28]
- Creek near Rosebud, 1937
- The Seasons, 1944
- The Lovers, 1944
- David and Saul, 1946
- Melbourne Burning, 1946-1947
- Wimmera Landscape, 1950
- Merric Boyd, 1952
- Half Cast Child, 1957
- Moses leading the People, 1957
- Lovers with a Bluebird, 1962
- Figure supporting Back Legs, 1973
- Riversdale Bushland, 1976
- Flood receding one Winter Evening, 1981
- Bathers Pulpit Rock, 1985
See also
References
- ^ Boyd, Arthur (1947–48). "The expulsion". AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Arthur Boyd". AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ Yvonne Boyd's mother was born Hartland. Beryl Hartland Reid was her aunt and provided significant social contacts to Arthur and Yvonne upon their arrival in London,1959. Beryl Hartland's obituary was published in The Telegraph 28 June 2006. [1]
- ^ Heritage assessment, Boyd house, Rosebud, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, 2011. [2]
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Sue (1999). "Arthur Boyd (1920-1999): An obituary". Grafico Topico. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "The World in Conflict". Bundanon Trust. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ National Library of Australia. Trove entry, Arthur Merric Boyd Pottery.[3]
- ^ a b c "Arthur BOYD". Collection search. National Gallery of Australia. 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "Arthur Boyd - Ceramic Sculpture, 'Olympic Pylon'". Heritage Council Victoria. 15 August 2005.
- ^ "Arthur Boyd: Testament of a Painter". Australian Screen. 1994.
- ^ Boyd, Arthur (1966–68). "Nebuchadnezzar on fire falling over a waterfall". AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- IMDb
- ^ "Paintings by Arthur Boyd sold through Savill Galleries". Savill Galleries. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ Boyd, Arthur (1987). "Australian scapegoat". AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ "Great Hall Tapestry". Parliament House Art Collection. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ Boyd, Arthur (1993). "Arthur Boyd retrospective (1993-1994)". AGNSW collection record. Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ Bundanon Trust welcome |renewed accessdate, 13 March 2015| https://bundanon.com.au
- ^ "Founding Bundanon Trust". Bundanon Trust. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- Commonwealth of Australia. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 1979. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- Commonwealth of Australia. 8 June 1992. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-74196-809-5.
- ^ "Arthur Boyd" (Stamp image). Australian Stamp and Coin Company. 1998. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ Bowman, Lisa (1998). Australians on Arthur Boyd.
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ignored (help) - ^ Desk, OV Digital (23 July 2023). "24 July: Remembering Arthur Boyd on Birthday". Observer Voice. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ a b c Gardiner, Stephanie (15 August 2012). "Record price for Arthur Boyd painting". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ Gannon, Genevieve (14 August 2012). "Boyd painting sells for record $1.68m". Herald Sun. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ISBN 0-9599271-0-7.
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-522-84871-0.
- Featherstone, Don (Producer and Director) (1985). Arthur Boyd: Figures in the Landscape (50 minutes) (Motion picture). Featherstone Productions. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- Arthur Boyd at Australian Art at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-07-10)
Further reading
- McGrath, Sandra (1982), The artist & the river: Arthur Boyd and the Shoalhaven, Bay Books, ISBN 978-0-85835-570-5
- Hoff, Ursula (1986), The art of Arthur Boyd, A. Deutsch, ISBN 978-0-233-97824-6
- Dobrez, Patricia; Herbst, Peter (1990), The art of the Boyds: generations of artistic achievement, Bay Books, ISBN 978-1-86256-426-8
- McKenzie, Janet (8 August 1994), Arthur Boyd at Bundanon, Academy Editions (published 1994), ISBN 978-1-85490-338-9
- Arthur Boyd: Testament of a Painter (55 minutes) (Motion picture). Don Bennetts Films Pty Ltd. 1990. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- McKenzie, Janet (2000), Arthur Boyd: Art and life, Thames and Husdson, ISBN 978-0500092965
External links
- Arthur Boyd on Artabase
- The Golden Calf 1946 Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.
- Wheatfield, Berwick, 1948 at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2009-07-06)
- Design and Art Australia Online
- The Bundanon Trust
- Arthur Boyd at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Arthur Boyd's collection at the National Gallery of Victoria
- Arthur Boyd: Agony & Ecstasy Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia