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Elizabeth Durack

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For the football goalkeeper, seeLizzie Durack.

Elizabeth Durack
Durack in 1961
Born(1915-07-06)6 July 1915
Perth, Western Australia
Died25 May 2000(2000-05-25)(aged 84)
Perth, Western Australia
Known forPainting
Elizabeth Durack withBroome Madonna,from the seriesTime and Tideat the Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne, 1946

Elizabeth Durack ClancyCMG,OBE(6 July 1915 – 25 May 2000) was a Western Australian artist and writer.

Early life

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Born in thePerthsuburb ofClaremonton 6 July 1915, she was a daughter ofKimberleypioneer,Michael Patrick Durack(1865–1950)[1]and his wife, Bessie Johnstone Durack. She was the younger sister of writer and historianDame Mary Durack(1913–1994).[1]The sisters were educated at the Loreto Convent in Perth, and also on the Kimberley cattle stations,Argyle DownsandIvanhoe.It was there that they established unique and enduring relationships with theMirriuwong-Gajerrongpeople of theOrd Riverregion. In 1936–37 the sisters travelled to Europe where Elizabeth studied at theChelsea Polytechnic,London.

At work onThe New Plumage,Black Swan mural, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Perth, 1956

Art

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Her work was notable for the way it combined and reflected both western and aboriginal perceptions of the world. Based for much of her life in remote parts of north and central Western Australia, far from the metropolitan centres of mainstream artistic activity, Durack received stimulus and inspiration from sources quite different from those of her contemporaries, e.g.William Dobell,Arthur Boyd, Albert Tucker, et al. Separated by both geography and gender, her talent emerged "... original, versatile and persistent, a xerophytic adaptation, almost, to a particularly harsh environment".[2]

August 1946 saw her first exhibition in Perth. In 1951 she had a joint exhibition with the potterEileen Constance Keys.They put their work together in still-life arrangements inspired byGeorges Braque.[3]July 2000 was the last exhibition she planned. It was held posthumously in London, Elizabeth Durack held 65 solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows. Over that time her art evolved from simple line drawings, through part-abstract metaphorical works, to the transcendent masterworks of her last creative phase.[4][5]

Durack's work included a number of dyeline prints, hand coloured inwatercolour,depicting life on aKimberleycattle station (Ivanhoeand Lissadell pastoral stations). Aboriginal women and children feature in these pictures, four of which can be seen at theNational Museum of Australia.[6]

In the beginning... (Genesis 1)1997, mixed media on linen, diptych, each 190x92

Illustrations

Some of Elizabeth Durack's earliest published illustrations are of aboriginal life in Western Australia, for example her illustrations for the 1935 book "All-About: The Story of a Black Community on Argyle Station, Kimberley".[7][5]"Elizabeth Durack is credited with illustrating the bookWho rides the river?by JK Ewers, released in 1956.[8] Illustrations were provided by Durack for a new edition ofAustralian Legendary Talesin 1953, Aboriginal tales edited and selected byHenrietta Drake-Brockmanfrom those collected and translated byK. Langloh Parker.This edition was chosen by theChildren's Book Council of Australiaas "Book of the Year" for 1954.[9]

She and her sister also made a comic strip,Nungalla and Jungallain 1942-1943.[10]

Honours and awards

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In recognition of services to art and literature, Elizabeth Durack was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empire(OBE) in 1966 and in 1982, a Companion of theOrder of St Michael and St George(CMG). In 1994 and 1996Murdoch Universityand theUniversity of Western Australiaconferred upon her Honorary Doctorates of Letters.

Eddie Burrup controversy

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In the 1990s, artworks by indigenous artist "Eddie Burrup" began to appear on the Aboriginal art scene. Paintings by 'Eddie Burrup' were first displayed in January 1995 in a mixed exhibition at Kimberley Fine Art—Durack Gallery,Broome, Western Australia.The gallery was run by Elizabeth's daughter, Perpetua Durack Clancy.[11]In January 1996 Eddie Burrup was invited to participate inNative Titled Now,a 1996Adelaide Festivalof Arts Event presented by theTandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute,March–April 1996. Later in the year works by Eddie Burrup were selected for theTelstra 13thNational Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awardat theMuseum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory,Darwin, 17 August–19 October 1996. In 1997 Elizabeth Durack disclosed that Burrup was her pseudonym, an identity she considered her "alter ego".Controversy ensued, in part because her works had been included in Indigenous Australian art exhibitions.[12][13]

Durack freely assumed the right to make Aboriginal art as Burrup.[14]This was not appreciated by other Aboriginal artists nor the gallery owner who represented "Burrup". Durack continued to make art as Eddie Burrup until her death on 25 May 2000, aged 84. Responses from the art world and the public ranged widely. Some censured Elizabeth Durack and dismissed Burrup paintings that previously had been acclaimed.[15]Three works by Eddie Burrup fromNative Titled Nowwere removed from the walls of theGippsland Art GalleryinSale, Victoria.[16]Members of the Aboriginal art community claimed that Durack had stolen indigenous culture and John Mundine, an Aboriginal art curator, remarked that "it's the last thing left that you could possibly take away other than our lives or shoot us all." Doreen Mellor, who had curated theNative Titled Nowexhibition, stated that "as an Aboriginal person I feel really offended."[17]Durack was bemused by the controversy, remarking "I'm just using a nom de plume. Why are people so interested in the fact of what I've done?"[14]

Legacy

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The estate of Elizabeth Durack contains original material from the 1920s on through all decades up until the year 2000. The material consists principally of artworks, manuscripts, poetry and letters. During her lifetime Durack held many successful exhibitions but resisted selling certain key works that remain with the estate.[5]

Since her death, executors have arranged exhibitions as follows:

  • The Art of Eddie Burruppresented by the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London in July 2000;
  • Prelude — Early works by Elizabeth Durack 1947–50,a Travelling Exhibition, presented by Art on the Move, the National Exhibitions Touring Structure for Western Australia, in 2002–3
  • an auction presented by McKenzies Auctioneers, Perth, May 2006;
  • a sale of miscellaneous printed and original material, presented by Robert Muir Old and Rare Books, Perth, July 2006;
  • paintings from the series,Battle Cries(1978) andBett-Bett's wonderful lonely palace...(1985) presented by Greenhill Galleries, Perth, May 2007
  • With outstretched arms...Kimberley Sisters of StJohn of Godwith children, patients and friends in postwarBroome,DerbyandBeagle Baypresented by Forty7ED at the Lingiari Foundation Centre, Broome Western Australia, July 2007.[18]

Durack was interviewed and featured on numerous radio and TV shows including60 Minutes.

In 2016, a volume of selected writings reflecting her art and life was published, edited by Perpetua Durack Clancy.[19][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abBolton, G. C. "Durack, Michael Patrick (1865–1950)".Cultural Advice.National Centre of Biography, Australian National University – via Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  2. ^Hutchings, Patrick: "The Art of Elizabeth Durack",The Western Mail,Perth, 1981, page 9
  3. ^Erickson, Dorothy,"Eileen Constance Keys (1903–1992)",Australian Dictionary of Biography,Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University,retrieved17 December2023
  4. ^Douglas, Elena (16 March 2015)."Elizabeth Durack, an overlooked Australian artist and author".Australian Financial Review.Retrieved3 February2017.
  5. ^abcdPaull, John (2017).The Incarnation of Eddie Burrup: A Review of Elizabeth Durack, Art & Life, Selected Writings, Perpetua Durack Clancy (Editor), Brisbane: Connor Court.Arts, 6(7), 1-8.
  6. ^Durack dyeline prints, National Museum of Australia
  7. ^Durack, Mary & Elizabeth (1935). All-About: The Story of a Black Community on Argyle Station, Kimberley. Perth: Imperial Printing Company.
  8. ^J.K.Ewers. Who Rides On the River? Angus & Robertson. First school edition 1964
  9. ^"S.A. Woman's Book Of The Year".The Advertiser.Adelaide. 11 August 1954. p. 16.Retrieved22 October2015– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^"Elizabeth Durack".lambiek.net.
  11. ^Brenda Niall,True North: The Story of Mary and Elizabeth Durack,Text Publishing, Melbourne, Australia, 2012. p. 237.
  12. ^Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch Childs,The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art,Aus Art Editions in association with The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, 2006, p.49.
  13. ^Frank Campbell."Giving the Past a Future: Internet Archives Revive Australian Art"(PDF).Australian Art Sales Digest published by John Furphy Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia, 26 September 2009.
  14. ^ab"Australian Biography: Elizabeth Durack".Australian Biography: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
  15. ^Susan McCulloch."Blacks blast Durack over art of illusion"(PDF).The Weekend Australian, 8–9 March 1997, pp.1&10.
  16. ^Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV News archives, 8 March 1997.
  17. ^Maynard, Roger (8 March 1997). "Aboriginal male artist unveiled as white woman".The Times, London.
  18. ^"ABC News".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  19. ^"Elizabeth Durack: Art & Life Selected Writings - $29.95: Connor Court Publishing, Australian Publisher".Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2016.Retrieved6 August2016.
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