Mary Fedden
Mary Fedden Slade School of Fine Arts (1932-36) | |
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| Movement | Modernism |
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| Elected |
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Mary Fedden,
Early years
Sometimes mistakenly described as the daughter of Roy Fedden (who was in fact her uncle, as was Romilly Fedden), Mary Fedden was born in Bristol where she attended the city's Badminton School. At the age of 16, she studied at the
When she finished her studies, she taught, painted portraits and created stage designs for
Style and influences
After the war was over, Fedden developed her own style of flower paintings and still lifes, reminiscent of artists such as
In 1995, she acknowledged in an interview in The Artist magazine:
I really float from influence to influence…. I found the early Ben Nicholsons fascinating as were the paintings of his wife Winifred. I also admire the Scottish artist Anne Redpath and the French painter Henri Hayden.[1]
Fedden's subjects are often executed in a bold, expressive style with vivid, contrasting colours, although her work of 2005–6 uses a narrower tonal range. Her still lifes are often placed in front of a landscape, as she enjoyed the contrasting of disparate, even quirky elements. When using watercolours she emphasised the rough texture of her favourite Indian papers.
Exhibitions
Fedden exhibited in one-person shows throughout the UK every year from 1947 until her death in 2012. These included the
Major exhibitions
- 1967 – Mansard Gallery, Heal's, London
- 1988, 1996 – Royal West of England Academy
- 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017 – Portland Gallery, London
- 2016 – Jerwood Gallery, Hastings
Commissions and societies
Fedden also received several commissions for murals, notably the Festival of Britain in 1951, the P&O liner Canberra in 1961, Charing Cross Hospital in 1980 (along with her husband, Julian Trevelyan),[5] Colindale Hospital in 1985,[2] and for schools in Bristol, Hertfordshire and London.
In 1956, Fedden became a member of the
Collections
Her work can be found in numerous public and private collections such as the
Teaching
Fedden taught painting at the
from 1965 to 1970.Personal life
In 1951, Mary Fedden married the artist Julian Trevelyan.
Later career
In 1995, the writer and critic Mel Gooding wrote a monograph on Fedden's work tracing her long career up to her marriage to Julian Trevelyan and their life together on the Thames at Chiswick, London. In 2007, a second book on Fedden written by Christopher Andreae was published, tracing her whole career up to 2006.
From 1984, Fedden held the post of President of the
For many years, Fedden was a close friend of the former television presenter Anna Ford. Fedden remained a prolific and popular painter until her death in 2012. She continued to live and work in the studio she shared with her husband from the 1940s on the River Thames, London.[1] She died, aged 96, in London.
References
- ^ a b c d "Mary Fedden Biography". Portland Gallery. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mary Fedden RA". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-906509-11-8.
- ^ McNay, Michael (22 June 2012). "Mary Fedden obituary". The Guardian.
- ^ ISBN 1-85149-106-6.
- ^ "Mary Fedden". The Telegraph. 22 June 2012.
Further reading
- 'Mary Fedden OBE RA', New Hall Art Collection, Cambridge: University of Cambridge. ISBN 9780950710884.
- Christopher Andreae, Mary Fedden, Enigmas and Variations, London: Lund Humphries in 2007. (ISBN 978-1848221543).
- Alicia Foster, 'Mary Fedden' Tate Women Artists, London: Tate Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-85437-311-0.
- Mel Gooding, Mary Fedden, Scolar Press, 1995. ISBN 978-1859281499.
- José Manser, Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan: Life and Art by the River Thames, London: Unicorn Press Ltd., 2012. ISBN 978 1 906509 11 8.
External links
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