Douglas MacDiarmid

New Zealand-born artist Douglas MacDiarmid in Paris, 1990.

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. Involved with key movements in twentieth-century art, he currently lives in Paris, France.^[1]

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, country general medical practitioner and surgeon, and his wife Mary Frances (née Tolme), a school teacher before her marriage. He was educated

at Timaru Boys' High School, and studied literature, languages, music and philosophy at Canterbury College, University of New Zealand, Christchurch. His studies were interrupted by World War 2 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 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.

MacDiarmid has been a full time artist in Paris since 1952 and has continued to paint into his 10th decade. 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.^[2]

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.

Douglas is a cousin of the late New Zealand chemist Alan MacDiarmid, one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2000.

Significant exhibitions

1945: Showed with The Group, Christchurch, NZ, also 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1963

1950: Helen Hitchings Gallery, Wellington, 1st solo show

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

1952: Galerie Morihen, Paris, France, 1st French solo exhibition; Fifteen New Zealand Painters, Irving Galleries, Leicester, presented by Helen Hitchings as 1st exhibition of contemporary NZ art in Britain; 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); New Forms Galleries, Athens: represented NZ at Stamford International Exhibition, Connecticut, USA

1965: Galerie 259 Raspail, Paris, with sculptor Dambrin; represented at NZ painting & 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, NZ: 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 – 1st 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; Chez MacDiarmid, Paris, also 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005

1995: New Zealand Embassy, Paris

1996: Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui, NZ

1999: Ferner Galleries, Auckland & Wellington, NZ, MacDiarmid 50th anniversary Retrospective 1948-1998, - From the Artist’s Studio, & 2001; 2002 Celebrating the artist at 80 retrospective – including the New Zealand launch of artbook MacDiarmid by French art historian Nelly Finet^[3]

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^[4] 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 Galleries, Auckland Douglas MacDiarmid: An Artist Abroad

2015: Early work shown in Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa autumn Nga Toi exhibition, Wellington^[5]

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.
• 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.
• Trevelyan, J., (2008) Rita Angus: An artist's life, Wellington: Te Papa.
• Wolfe, R., (2008) New Zealand portraits, Auckland: Penguin. ISBN 9780670071777

References