Judy Darragh
Judy Darragh (born 1957) is a New Zealand artist who uses found objects to create sculptural assemblages. She has also worked in paint[1] and film.[2] Darragh is represented in a number of public collections in New Zealand. In 2004, The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa held a major retrospective of her work titled Judy Darragh: So... You Made It? [3]
Early life and education
Darragh was born and raised in Christchurch. Her mother worked in a clothing factory and her father was a freezing worker. Darragh has described being surrounded by "the joy of making" in her home environment,[4] and from an early age she enjoyed drawing and making things from craft materials such as Fimo and pipe cleaners.[5]
Darragh studied graphic design, graduating from Wellington Polytechnic with a Diploma in Visual Communication and Design in 1978.[6] Deciding that she was not "cut out for the (graphic design) industry,"[5] Darragh moved to Auckland where she gained a Diploma in Teaching from Auckland Secondary School Teachers College in 1980.[7] She has described how her teaching career has supported her art-making and provided her with a sense of freedom in her practice.[5]
Shrine series
Darragh developed her signature kitsch aesthetic while living in Auckland in the 1980s, where she was working as secondary school teacher.[5] She began making and selling domestic objects such as lamps and mirrors made from plastic plates at Cook Street Market[4] and collecting bric-a-brac from markets, second hand shops and op shops.[5][8] Her first assemblage works brought together these made and found objects into what she has described as "shrines".[5] She was interested in exploring the distinctions between high and low culture and art and craft (particularly crafts that have been historically undertaken by women)[5] and was influenced by Marcel Duchamp and his use of the readymade.[4][8][9] Darragh first exhibited her art at Artspace, in Auckland's George Fraser Gallery.[4]
Collections
- Auckland Art Gallery[10]
- Govett-Brewster Art Gallery[11]
- Christchurch Art Gallery[6]
- Dunedin Public Art Gallery[12]
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa[13]
- Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato[14]
- Lincoln University Collection, Christchurch[15]
- Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua, Whanganui
References
- ↑ "Judy Darragh". Blue Oyster art project space.
- ↑ "Circuit: Judy Darragh". Circuit.co.nz.
- ↑ "Te Papa 2004 past exhibitions". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
- 1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Nikki. "Steeling the show". The Dominion Post – via www.stuff.co.nz.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Judy Darragh artist interview". YouTube.
- 1 2 "Christchurch Art Gallery collection record". Christchurch Art Gallery.
- ↑ "Judy Darragh". Page Blackie Gallery.
- 1 2 Gardiner, Sue. "The pleasure of making". Art News NZ.
- ↑ McAloon, William. "How to turn Te Papa into an op shop". NZ Listener.
- ↑ "Auckland City Art Gallery artist page for Judy Darragh". Auckland City Art Gallery.
- ↑ "Govett-Brewster Art Gallery collection record". Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.
- ↑ "Judy Darragh: Birth of Barbie". Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
- ↑ "Person: Darragh, Judy". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
- ↑ "Pacific Madonna". NZMuseums.
- ↑ "Visitor's Guide to Artwork, Building and Trees on the Lincoln University Campus" (PDF). Lincoln University.
Further reading
- Conland, Natasha. Judy Darragh: So...You Made It? Exhibition Catalogue. Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0-909010-98-0
External links
- Judy Darragh, Artist: Studio Channel Art Fair
- Judy Darragh talk at the SPARK International Festival of Media, Arts & Design at Waikato Institute of Technology, August 2012
- Judy Darragh on Radio New Zealand Arts on Sunday