Madonna Pearl Staunton (6 October 1938– 16 December 2019) was an artist and poet who lived in Brisbane. She is known for her works on Australian Modernism.
Background and career Madonna Staunton was born in Murwillumbah on 6 October 1938 and died in Brisbane in 2019. She was the only child of book trader Albert Errol Staunton (1905-1962), and artist and poet Madge Staunton nee Jones (1917-1985). In 1951 her family moved to Brisbane where Staunton received formal art training from her mother, as well as Roy Churcher, Bronwyn Yeates (Thomas), Nevil Matthews and Jon Molvig.
Staunton is recognised for her contributions to Australian Modernism over five decades. Staunton's earlier work consisted of torn sections of Contemporary Art Society newsletter and magazines. Her art was informed by notably poetry, literature, music and Buddhism and Zen philosophy and culture Illness in 1974, forced Staunton to reconsider her method from large scale paintings to collage. In the 1980s, Staunton showed an interest in assemblage and sculpture, along with a return to painting.
Staunton is known for creating small format collages,Flyer, "Madonna Staunton: A Recent Work", 4-26 September 1979. Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Queensland, held in the National Gallery of Australia Research and Archive Collection. using scrap materials and everyday items in her works such as tickets, matchboxes, piano keys, book bindings taken from urban waste and assembled in an abstract format. Her art is noted as having an intense meditative and introspective qualities, reflective of her cultural beliefs.
In the 1996 Australian Day Honours Staunton was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to the visual arts".
In 2012 Madonna Staunton was interviewed in a digital story and oral history for the State Library of Queensland's James C Sourris AM Collection. In the interview Staunton talks to Professor Robert Leslie Lingard about her art and life, the influences on her art including her childhood, fragile health, and poetry, the various artists and experiences that she has encountered and that which motivates and inspires her.
Staunton died on 16 December 2019. A memorial service was held at the University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane.
Individual exhibitions +YearExhibition2014 - 2015Madonna Staunton: Out of Clear Blue Sky, Queensland Art Gallery, BrisbaneFlyer, "Madonna Staunton, Out of a Clear Blue Sky", 2014, Queensland Art Gallery, held in the National Gallery of Australia Research and Archive Collection. 2013Madonna Staunton: Dream Trolly, grahame galleries + editions, Brisbane2003Madonna Staunton retrospective, IMA, Brisbane1999Madonna Staunton, Metro Arts, BrisbaneCatalog, "Madonna Staunton", 1999. Metro Arts, Brisbane, held in the National Gallery of Australia Research and Archive Collection.1996Patience and the Provoked, Net works – Sutton Gallery Melbourne19951-6 Recent Works, Bellas Gallery, Brisbane1994Madonna Staunton A Survey 1966–1993, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville1994Madonna Staunton, Bellas Gallery, Brisbane1993Paradigms, Sutton Gallery Melbourne1992Iconic Images, Bellas Gallery, Brisbane1991Recent Works, Gary Anderson Gallery, Sydney1989Assemblage Collage, Bellas Gallery, Brisbane1988Garry Anderson Gallery, Sydney1984Garry Anderson Gallery, Sydney1983Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane1980Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane1979Institute of Modern Art Brisbane1978Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane1977Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane1976Ray Hughes Gallery, Brisbane
Group exhibitions +YearExhibitions1996Mary Place Gallery, Sydney. Organised by Bellas/Sutton Galleries1996Reference Points 4, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane1996Asia-Pacific Hotel Art Fair, Brisbane1979European Dialogues, Biennale of Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales
References
External links QAGOMA Blog post "Out of a clear blue sky" Madonna Staunton OAM digital story, educational interview and oral history. James C. Sourris artist interview series 2010-2015, State Library of Queensland, 4 April 2012, 6.30min, 26:27min and 54:51min version available to view online. Portrait of an artist: Madonna Staunton retrospective James C Sourris AM Collection, State Library of Queensland, 6 Sep 2022. In this Portrait of an Artist event Josh Milani from Milani Gallery, Brisbane Poet and Artist Nathan Shepherdson, and Peta Rake, Curator at the University of Queensland Art Museum, discuss the career and legacy of the late artist, Madonna Staunton OAM.