Douglas MacDiarmid

Douglas Kerr MacDiarmid (born 14 November 1922) is one of New Zealand's most accomplished expatriate painters, known for his diversity and exceptional use of colour, and involved with key movements in twentieth-century art. He lives in Paris, France.[1]

Douglas Kerr MacDiarmid
Born14 November 1922
Taihape, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
OccupationPainter
Home townParis, France
Websitewww.douglasmacdiarmid.com

Life

Douglas MacDiarmid was born in Taihape, in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand, the younger son of Dr Gordon Napier MacDiarmid,[2] country general medical practitioner and surgeon (and former army surgeon on SS Maheno), and his wife Mary Frances (née Tolme), a school teacher before her marriage. He was born in his family home upstairs from his father's surgery at 24 Huia Street, Taihape.

He boarded at Huntley Preparatory School, Marton, and Timaru Boys' High School, then studied literature, languages, music and philosophy at Canterbury College, University of New Zealand, Christchurch. His studies were interrupted by World War II military service in the Army and Air Force at home. Although he had no formal art training, he was mentored by older members of The Group, an avant-garde set redefining New Zealand art and culture that he was closely involved with during his Christchurch years from 1940 to 1946.

While his brother Ronald Diarmid MacDiarmid (2 August 1920 – 13 January 2013; QSM, MB ChB UNZ, MRCGP, FRCGP, FRACGP (Hon), FRNZCGP) followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a doctor, Douglas left New Zealand after the war in 1946 to find his way as an artist, teaching and painting in London and France. After a year back in New Zealand in 1949–50, he returned to France and has been based there ever since – with homeland exhibitions and regular trips back to New Zealand until recent years.

Douglas is a cousin of the late New Zealand scientist Alan MacDiarmid, one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2000. The following year, Douglas painted a portrait of his cousin for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery collection.[3]

His childhood home is now a bed and breakfast called Magpie Manor at 24 Huia Street, Taihape.

Career

MacDiarmid has been a full time artist in Paris since 1952. He also writes poetry. Not confined to a style, he creates landscapes, cityscapes, portraits, figures, abstract and semi abstract forms, many inspired by his extensive travels, and has exhibited successfully in France, London, Athens, New York, and Casablanca.

In 1990, he was brought back to New Zealand for the country's sesquicentennial celebrations, and declared a New Zealand living cultural treasure by the government of the day. His portrait was painted by Jacqueline Fahey at the time for the new New Zealand Portrait Gallery.[4]

MacDiarmid painted the portraits of Rita Angus[5] and Theo Schoon[6] among others.

His paintings are owned by French and New Zealand governments, the City of Paris, and public and private collections across the world, including New Zealand, Australia, the United States, France, England, Greece, Switzerland, Morocco, South Africa, China, South America, Korea, Tahiti, as well as the collection of the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor (formerly known as Wallis Simpson).

In 2016, two of his paintings sold through Art+Object for a record price (for the artist) of more than $27,000 each as part of the Tim and Sherrah Francis Collection, the highest grossing art auction in New Zealand history.[7]

A series of Douglas' line drawings were used to illustrate a little volume of poems by New Zealand Poet Laureate 2015–2017 CK Stead.[8] Published by the Alexander Turnbull Library, the signed, limited edition book was titled In the mirror, and dancing (2017) and hand-pressed by Brendan O'Brien.[9] The book was launched on 8 August 2017 in Wellington, with the assistance of Gregory O'Brien to celebrate the conclusion of Stead's laureateship.[10]

Senior art historian Associate Professor Leonard Bell, of the School of Humanities at the University of Auckland, has noted MacDiarmid's name missing in overviews of New Zealand's country’s painting history[11][12] and has welcomed the launch of his biography Colours of a Life - the life and times of Douglas MacDiarmid by Anna Cahill (2018).[13][14]

Significant exhibitions

1945: Showed with The Group, Christchurch (also 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1963)[15]

1950: Helen Hitchings Gallery, Wellington (first solo show)

1951: Work shown at Bienniale de Menton salon exhibition, Gallery Pierre Mondal, London

1952: Aquarelle, Galerie Morihien, Paris (first solo French exhibition). Fifteen New Zealand Painters, Irving Galleries, Leicester, presented by Helen Hitchings as first exhibition of contemporary NZ art in Britain. Also New Forms Gallery, Athens, Greece.

1953: Chelsea Private Gallery, London; Galerie Royale, Paris

1955: Galerie Ror Volmar, Paris

1958: Galerie du Colisée, Paris, Galerie du Claridge, Paris. Pierre Montal Gallery group exhibition, London

1959: André Brooke's Gallery 91, Christchurch. John Leech Gallery, Auckland. Beaux Arts group exhibition, Paris, works selected for L'Exposition du Prix Othon Friesz, Paris

1960: Commonwealth Week, Midland Bank, London; Gallery Pierre Montal, London; Redfern Gallery, London. Galeries Felix Varcel, represented NZ in New York Norwich International Exhibition, London

1961: Architectural Centre, Wellington

1963: Galerie Chardin, Paris; New Forms Gallery, Athens

1964: Opening of NZ House, London (the first painter to exhibit there). Represented NZ at Stamford International Exhibition, Connecticut, USA

1965: Galerie 259 Raspail, Paris, with sculptor Dambrin. Represented at NZ painting and ceramics exhibition, New Zealand Embassy, Paris. John Leech Gallery, Auckland (also 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973)

1966: Ensemble exhibition, Palmerston North Public Art Gallery, NZ. Group exhibition of NZ Paintings & Pottery, NZ Embassy, Washington DC

1968: Retrospective MacDiarmid Exhibition, Wellington; Galerie Berri-Lardy, Paris. Represented NZ at Commonwealth Exhibition, Bristol, UK

1969: Bishop Suter Art Gallery, Nelson, NZ.

1970: Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Festival Week Exhibition. Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery, Christchurch

1972: Galerie Motte, Paris

1974: Medici Galleries, Wellington (also 1975, 1976)

1976: NZ House, London; Galerie Venise Cadre, Casablanca, Morocco

1977: Galerie Séguier, Paris

1979: Galeriè Bond Street, Casablanca

1981: Louise Beale Gallery, Wellington (also 1985)

1983: Galerie Lambert, Paris (also 1986)

1989: Chez Lonjon, Paris – first home based exhibition

1990: NZ Sesquicentennial Exhibition, Light Release, Louise Beale/Christopher Moore Gallery, Wellington; National Art Gallery, Wellington

1992: Christopher Moore Gallery, Wellington (also 1993, 1995, 1997). MacDiarmid studio exhibitions, Paris (also 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005)

1995: New Zealand Embassy, Paris

1996: Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui, NZ

1999–2002: Ferner Galleries, Auckland & Wellington, NZ, MacDiarmid 50th anniversary Retrospective 1948–1998 – From the Artist's Studio, followed by Celebrating the artist at 80 retrospective to coincide with the New Zealand launch of art history book MacDiarmid by French art historian Nelly Finet[16]

2003: St Tropez, France, solo exhibition for 5th Australia/New Zealand Film Festival

2004: NZ Embassy residence, Paris

2006: Hocken Collections, Dunedin NZ, Douglas MacDiarmid: A Very Generous Gift; St Tropez, France 11–15 October. This show supported the release of A Stranger Everywhere[17] documentary at Australia/New Zealand Film Festival; Otago University Auckland Centre; NZ Embassy exhibition, Paris

2008: New Zealand Embassy, Paris, also 2011 exhibition in aid of Christchurch earthquake reparation

2013: Montmartre, Paris exhibition with expatriate NZ sculptor Marion Fountain; Jonathan Grant Gallery, Auckland Douglas MacDiarmid: An Artist Abroad

2015: Early work shown in Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa autumn Nga Toi exhibition, Wellington[18]

2017: University of Auckland's Gus Fisher Gallery exhibited work covering a period of six decades, gifted to the University of Auckland Art Collection by Douglas in 2015.

2018: Colours of a Life: Douglas MacDiarmid, New Zealand Portrait Gallery. Coinciding with the publication of his biography by the same name, this is an exhibition curated by Anna Cahill and Jaenine Parkinson to celebrate the life and art of expatriate New Zealand artist Douglas MacDiarmid, including a survey of MacDiarmid’s portraits and figurative works that span from realist figuration through to geometric abstraction, and showcasing his vibrant use of colour and the network of relationships the artist formed to places and people throughout his life and career.

Bibliography
  • Bell, L., "In transit: Questions of home and belonging in New Zealand art," presented and transcribed as part of the 2006 Gordon H. Brown Lecture series.
  • Bell, L., "A stranger everywhere: Douglas MacDiarmid and New Zealand," Art New Zealand 123 (Winter 2007), pp. 76–81, 95.
  • Brown, G. H., (1981) New Zealand painting 1940–1960: Conformity and dissension, Wellington: QEII Arts Council. pp. 46, 50–51, 58, 61, 100.
  • Cahill, A., (2017) "Douglas MacDiarmid: A man for all seasons", Contemporary Hum
  • Cahill, A., (2018) Colours of a Life: The life and times of Douglas MacDiarmid, Auckland: Mary Egan Publishing. ISBN 9780473423834
  • Finet, N., (2002) MacDiarmid, Paris: Editions STAR.
  • Fraser, R., "Douglas MacDiarmid: A conversation with an expatriate," Art New Zealand 59 (Winter 1991) pp. 84, 87, 105.
  • Frizzell, D., (2012) It's all about the image, Auckland: Random House NZ. ISBN 9781869797072
  • Grinda, E., (2006) A Stranger Everywhere, (52-minute documentary film on MacDiarmid's work and views). Hong Kong: Artisan Limited.
  • Johnstone, C., (2006) Landscape paintings of New Zealand: A journey from north to south, Auckland: Godwit Press.
  • MacDiarmid, D. "What is art supposed to do?" Ascent: A journal of the arts in New Zealand, 1, 1, (November 1967) pp. 11–15.
  • Norman, P., (2006) Douglas Lilburn: His life and work, Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
  • O'Brien, G., (2008) Back and Beyond: New Zealand Painting for the Young and Curious, Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 9781869404048
  • Simpson, P., (2016) Bloomsbury South: The Arts in Christchurch 1933–1953, Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 9781869408480
  • Trevelyan, J., (2008) Rita Angus: An artist's life, Wellington: Te Papa.
  • Wolfe, R., (2008) New Zealand portraits, Auckland: Penguin. ISBN 9780670071777

References
  1. "Douglas MacDiarmid – Jonathan Grant Gallery". Jonathan Grant Gallery. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  2. "Dr and Mrs MacDiarmid | Piha | Piha Beach | Piha New Zealand". www.piha.co.nz. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  3. "Alan MacDiarmid | The New Zealand Portrait Gallery". www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. "Douglas MacDiarmid | The New Zealand Portrait Gallery". www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  5. "Rita Cook [Rita Angus]. · ourheritage.ac.nz | OUR Heritage". otago.ourheritage.ac.nz. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  6. "Portrait of Theo Schoon". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  7. "Art+Object". artandobject.co.nz. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  8. "C K Stead turns to the blogosphere". Radio New Zealand. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  9. "The making of: 'In the mirror, and dancing' | Blog | National Library of New Zealand". natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  10. "In the mirror, and dancing | Blog | National Library of New Zealand". natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  11. "An art historian's view of Douglas MacDiarmid - Douglas MacDiarmid". www.douglasmacdiarmid.com. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  12. Noted. "The artist and poet who refused to play by the narrow rules of NZ art". Noted. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  13. Ferguson, Lin (19 July 2018). "Biography of Taihape's world acclaimed artist Douglas MacDiarmid launched". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  14. Noted. "The artist and poet who refused to play by the narrow rules of NZ art". Noted. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  15. Simpson, Peter (2016). "Bloomsbury South: The Arts in Christchurch 1933–1953".
  16. Finet (2002)
  17. Grinda (2006)
  18. Trevelyan, J. "'The wild country of my Taihape': a painting by Douglas MacDiarmid". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 11 December 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
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