28 Facts About Arthur Boyd

1.

Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd was a leading Australian painter of the middle to late 20th century.

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2.

Arthur Boyd was a member of the Antipodeans, a group of Melbourne painters that included Clifton Pugh, David Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Robert Dickerson, John Perceval and Charles Blackman.

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3.

Arthur Boyd's wife, Yvonne Arthur Boyd is a painter; as are their children Jamie, Polly, and Lucy.

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4.

Arthur Boyd was born at Murrumbeena, Victoria, the son of Doris Arthur Boyd and her husband Merric, both potters and painters.

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5.

Arthur Boyd's sisters Lucy and Mary were both artists as well as both of Arthur Boyd's younger brothers; David was a painter, and Guy a sculptor.

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6.

Arthur Boyd moved to the inner city where he was influenced by his contact with European refugees.

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7.

Arthur Boyd was 20 when conscripted to serve in the militia from 12 May 1941 until 25 March 1944.

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8.

Arthur Boyd predominantly served in the Bendigo area as a Cartographer.

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9.

Arthur Boyd's paintings are not pretty and carry a pervasive magical and somewhat menacing atmosphere.

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10.

Arthur Boyd 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.

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11.

Arthur Boyd produced several series of works, including a collection of fifteen biblical paintings based on the teaching of his mother, Doris.

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12.

In 1975, Arthur Boyd donated several thousand works including pastels, sculptures, ceramics, etchings, tapestries, paintings and drawings to the National Gallery of Australia.

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13.

At first encounter, Arthur Boyd was a little overwhelmed to paint the area; he found the scenery rugged and wild, vastly different from the landscapes he knew.

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14.

Arthur Boyd donated a villa in Tuscany to the Australia Council for an artist-in-residence program in 1982.

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15.

Arthur Boyd produced sixteen canvasses for the foyer of the Victorian Arts Centre in the same year.

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16.

Arthur Boyd again represented Australia at the 1988 Venice Biennale with eight major works; and at the 2000 Venice Biennale.

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17.

Arthur Boyd was commissioned to paint Earth and Fire for the cover of the 28 November 1988 Time magazine special issue dealing with environmental conservation in Australia.

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18.

Major retrospective of Arthur Boyd's work was exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1993.

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19.

In 1997 for the first time Arthur 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.

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20.

Arthur Boyd was survived by his wife Yvonne, their son Jamie, and daughters Polly and Lucy.

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21.

Arthur Boyd was a master at manipulating elements to express himself.

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22.

Arthur Boyd 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.

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23.

Arthur Boyd applied paint with his fingers and palm because it is quicker, while the body contact directly connected him with the painting.

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24.

Arthur Boyd believed this allowed for a greater sense of freedom and pleasure from the act of painting.

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25.

Arthur Boyd was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1970 for services to art.

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26.

On 26 January 1979, Arthur Boyd was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the visual arts.

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27.

In recognition of his service to the visual arts and to the development of Australian artists and crafts people, Arthur Boyd was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia on 8 June 1992.

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28.

Arthur Boyd's subjects were often mythical, realistic, malformed people and monsters, depicting a tragic drama.

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