Barbara Tribe (1913–2000) was an Australian-born artist who spent most of her career in Cornwall. She is regarded as a significant twentieth-century portrait artist, working both in painting and sculpture.
Personal life Tribe was born in the suburb of Edgecliff, Sydney to English parents. In 1935 Tribe was awarded a travelling scholarship which allowed her to travel to England, where she lived and worked for the rest of her life. Tribe married John Singleman, an architect and potter, in 1947. They bought the former Baptist Sunday School building (later known as 'The Studio') in Sheffield, Cornwall in 1947 and moved there shortly afterward.
Education Tribe first studied at the Sydney Technical College from 1928 to 1933, joining when she was 15 years old and was awarded the Diploma in Sculpture, with Honours. After travelling to England, Tribe first attended the Kennington City & Guilds School of Art in 1936–1937 before being accepted into the Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art.
Artwork and career Tribe's work was heavily influenced by her travel experiences. During her time at the Sydney Technical College, she studied under English born sculptor, Raynor Hoff, and her figure work at this time was heavily influenced by him. After she received her diploma, she worked as Hoff's assistant and worked on the Hyde Park war memorial in Sydney with him. Between 1931 and 1934 Tribe often exhibited with the Society of Artists before holding her first solo show in 1934.
In the mid to late 1930s, Tribe and fellow Australian artist and actor Jean Elwing convinced Selfridges to provide studio space, and the young artist was also given parties by the store.
In 1943, Tribe was commissioned by Australia House, London to produce busts of seven distinguished airmen from Australia. Also in the 1940s, she began exhibiting at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
During the Second World War, Tribe worked for the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, recording vulnerable historic buildings. Tribe entered a piece titled Embryo into the renowned The Unknown Political Prisoner exhibition (14 March–30 April 1953).
Tribe took up a part time teaching post at the Penzance School of Art after the war, and continued to teach there for over 40 years, retiring in 1988. Tribe was a member of Newlyn Society of Artists and St Ives Society of Artists. Selected awards and commissions Tribe was a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors (FRBS), a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors (SPS) and an Associate Sydney Technical College [now National Art School]. She received much recognition within her lifetime, including the following,
Bronze medal for Sculpture, Sydney Technical College, 1933 New South Wales Travelling Art Scholarship, 1935. Tribe was the first woman to receive this award. The winning entry was three pencil drawings, “Caprice”, “Balmus” and “Hands” and two sculptures, a plaster of “Caprice” and a bas-relief “Dust and Deity”. Jean Masson Davidson Medal, Society of Portrait Sculptors, London, 1998
Selected exhibitions Tribe exhibited widely throughout her career including the following,
Solo exhibition, Fine Art Gallery (Anthony Horden & Sons), Sydney, 1934 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 5 May–26 August 1951 Group Exhibition by the Staff of the Penzance School of Art, Newlyn Art Gallery, July 1982 Alice to Penzance, the Mall Galleries, London, 19–29 July 1991 This vital flesh: the sculpture of Rayner Hoff and his school, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 26 November 1999–16 Jan 2000 Australian paintings 1895-2002 and the European influence, Nevill Keating Pictures Ltd., London, July–August 2002 The Elements within Sculpture, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 4 June–15 July 2011
Works held in public collections Artworks by Barbara Tribe are held in several public collections including the following works, sorted by year of creation. The unique ID no refers to the accession number or individual number given to each item by a gallery. TitleYearMediumUnique ID no.GalleryLocationMedusa1930–1931 (cast 1991)bronze409.1996.a-bArt Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaMedusa1931 (cast late 1970s)bronze2001.41National Gallery of VictoriaMelbourne, AustraliaThe Frenchman1931drawing88.2100National Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaThe spirit of the sea1933plaster & wood221.2015Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaLovers I1936–1937 (cast 1981)bronze192.1982.a-bArt Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaLovers II1936–1937 (cast 1988)bronze with green patina2008.672National Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaMay Guild1937bronze71.46National Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaBust of Frank McIlwraith1937patinated bronze2009.48National Portrait GalleryCanberra, AustraliaStanley Bruce1937cast bronze2000.15National Portrait GalleryCanberra, AustraliaField Marshal the Lord Birdwood1938patinated plaster2009.47National Portrait GalleryCanberra, AustraliaHands1938drawing in pencil89.1942National Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaRear Gunner RAAF (Warrant Officer Norman Williams)1943plaster220.2015Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaSquadron Leader R. H. Gibbes1943plaster219.2015Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaFigure1950mountain ash222.2015Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaTorso1954sandstone on wooden base2008.673.ANational Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaDr Lloyd Rees1966 bronze257.1981Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney, AustraliaDr Lloyd Rees1966teracotta68.40National Gallery of AustraliaCanberra, AustraliaDang, Child of Thailand1971bronzeDONMG 1991.1022Doncaster Museum and Art GalleryYorkshire, EnglandDr Joan M Redshaw AM1982terracotta2016.21National Portrait GalleryCanberra, AustraliaKookaburra1987bronzeBRSRW.0857Royal West of England AcademyBristol, EnglandZamenof -terracotta -Potteries Museum & Art GalleryStoke-on-Trent, England
Legacy Tribe specified in her will that some of her works were to be sold in aid of setting up the Barbara Tribe Foundation. Administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the aim of the foundation is to promote sculpture in Australia.
An archive relating to Barbara Tribe is held by the National Art Archive at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and MS 46 Papers of Barbara Tribe is her archive held by the National Gallery of Australia Research Library and Archives. The archive is mainly photo albums of her work captioned by Tribe, ranging from early student days in 1928 to the 1980s.
References
External links
Article about Barbara Tribe in the Sydney Morning Herald, 1938 Works by Barbara Tribe on Art UK