Artemis (edition 15)
Collagraph print
15 x 15 cm
$440

The current series of collagraphs and collages stems from my time of living in the Greek Islands, on four separate sojourns in the 60s and 70s. It was a time of rich experience and much self discovery, a very creative and inspiring period. I have recently revived these colourful memories in reading much biographical material on the well known Australian author and journalist, Charmian Clift. In reading the books she wrote there, I felt her experiences of living, creating and bringing up a family in Greece very much paralleled mine. It took me back to this ancient land and a very significant time in my life. -- Madeleine Winch

Madeleine Winch’s body of work embraces the world of reality, scenes from everyday life, impressions from recent travels to Europe and scenarios from an imaginary world. Despite this diversity, these paintings share a common thread in their expression of subtle human emotions. The images emerge from a synthesis of thoughts, intimate feelings and memories.

Winch has long been inspired by the work of the French 19th century ‘naive’ painter Henri Rousseau and in particular ‘The Sleeping Gypsy’. She attempts to understand the narrative in this work and unfold its mystery.

This and other significant influences in her life have led Madeleine to embark on her own rendition of this painting. Her youngest daughter’s voyage to an island in the Aegean had turned out to be a dark and lonely experience and Madeleine found herself contemplating such feelings as fear and loneliness, love and loss, solitude and companionship.

Different scenarios began to appear on the canvas. In her mind’s eye her daughter had become ‘the sleeping gypsy’ and her experiences became entwined with her analysis of Rousseau’s original scene. A sense of beauty and serenity pervade her work and she finds herself drawn towards the symbolic references in Rousseau’s ‘The Sleeping Gypsy’ to portray her own emotional experiences. There is a monumental solidity to her figures; these sculptural forms embody womanly virtues and female sensibilities. She is a painter of bold, colourful, figurative works which intrigue and invite the viewer.

Madeleine Winch has been exhibiting successfully for many years both nationally and internationally. Her work has been hung in a number of major award exhibitions, including the Dobell and Sulman Prizes at the AGNSW. Her paintings have been selected for the Portia Geach Memorial Award receiving the Highly Commended (1996), Viewer’s Choice (1996 and 1997), and Commended (1997). She was also a winner of the Kedumba Drawing Award in 2004. Madeleine’s work is represented in the collections of Regional Galleries throughout NSW including Wagga Wagga, Orange, New England and Dubbo.

BIOGRAPHY

Born Melbourne, Victoria.
1965 - 67 Studied Design, National Art School, Sydney

Solo Exhibitions

1978, 81 Blackfriars gallery, Sydney
1980, 82, 85, 88 Seasons Gallery, North Sydney
1980, 81, 82, 85 Prouds Gallery, Sydney
1985, 87, 92, 96 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
1985 Gallery Art Naïve, Melbourne
1989, 92 Breewood Gallery, Katoomba
1991 Kenthurst Galleries, Sydney
1992 Espace Alliance, Sydney
1994 Beaver Galleries, Canberra
1996 Marie-Jo Voight Fine Art, Lilianfels, Leura
1997 Beaver Gallery, Canberra
1998 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
1998 Alliance Francais, Sydney
2000 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2000 Beaver Gallery, Canberra
2001 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
2002 New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale
2002 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2003 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
2003 Beaver Gallery, Canberra
2005 Michael Nagy Fine Art, Sydney
2006 Gallery 460. Shared exhibition with John Winch
2006 Bell Gallery, Berrima (Women's Show)

Selected Group Exhibitions

1986 "5 Stuart Town Artists" Orange Regional Gallery
1987 "The Children's Picture Show", Lewers Bequest & Penrith Regional Gallery
1989, 91 Orange Regional Gallery
1990 Quintessential Views, Dubbo Regional Gallery
1990 The State Library of NSW
1990 Australian Children’s Book Illustrators, Australian Museum of Childhood Lewers Bequest & Penrith Regional Gallery
1993 The Dobell Drawing Award, Art Gallery of NSW
1994 Printmakers in Australia & France Today, Espace Alliance, Sydney
1994 Focus, Women’s Suffrage Centenary, Adelaide Central Gallery.
1995 French Fables Down Under, Espace Alliance, Sydney
1995 Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prize Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW
1995 Regional Tour of selected works, Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prizes.
1995 The King of the Accordian, New England Regional Art Museum (4 year touring exhibition to regional galleries in all Australian States).
1996 Portia Geach Memorial Award Exhibition, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney (Highly Commended & Viewers Choice Award)
1997 Encore, Alliance Francais, Adelaide
1997Portia Geach Memorial Award Exhibition, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney (Highly Commended & Viewers Choice Award, 2nd consecutive year)
1998 Desert Journey, Orange Regional Gallery
1998 Alliance Francaise, Sydney
1998 Portia Geach Memorial Award Exhibition
1998 Beyond the Surface, New England Regional Gallery
1999 Expanding the View, Orange Regional Gallery
2000 Desert Journey, Wollongong Regional Gallery
2000 Dobell Drawing Award Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW
2000 Olympic Arts Festival, Sydney Scene, Michael Nagy Fine Art
2000 Melbourne Contemporary Art Fair
2001 5 Women Artists, Bell Gallery, Berrima, NSW
2001 Redlands Westpac Art Prize, Sydney NSW
2002 Melbourne Contemporary Art Fair
2003 5 Women Artists, The Bell Gallery, Berrima
2004 Portia Geach, Memorial Award Exhibition, SH.Erwin Gallery, Sydney

International Exhibitions

1995 La Fontaine en Australie, Le Musee en Herbe, Paris, France.
1995 La Fontaine en Australie, Hotel de Ville, Noumea.
1996 Cultural Identities, Sydney Printmakers, Guizhou, China.
1999 Sydney Printmakers Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chile
2000 Chantal Cantin Fine Art, Paris, France
2000 Lane Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
2001 Port Jackson Fine Art, Los Angeles, USA

Collections

Macquarie University, NSW
Regional Gallery, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Regional Gallery, Orange, NSW
New England Regional Art Museum
Dubbo Regional Art Gallery, NSW