Vivienne Binns, Pioneer of Feminist Art, Dies at 86
On August 1, 2023, Vivienne Binns, an influential Australian artist, passed away at the age of 86. She was born in 1940 in Wyong, New South Wales, and studied at Sydney's National Art School. Her debut solo exhibition took place at Watters Gallery in 1967, drawing criticism for its representation of female sexuality, with three pieces from that exhibition now part of the National Gallery of Australia's collection. During the 1970s and 1980s, Binns concentrated on feminist collaborative initiatives, establishing the Sydney branch of the Women's Art Movement in 1974. In 1978, she was involved in Australia's inaugural exhibition featuring homosexual and lesbian artists. In 2021, she was honored with an Australia Council Award, followed by a retrospective in 2022.
Key facts
- Vivienne Binns died on 1 August at age 86.
- She was born in Wyong, New South Wales, in 1940.
- Her first solo exhibition was at Watters Gallery in 1967.
- Three works from that exhibition are in the National Gallery of Australia.
- She founded the Sydney chapter of the Women's Art Movement in 1974.
- She participated in the first homosexual and lesbian artists exhibition in Australia in 1978.
- She received an Australia Council Award for Visual Arts in 2021.
- Her retrospective 'On and Through the Surface' was held in 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Vivienne Binns
- Grace Crowley
- Lucy R. Lippard
Institutions
- National Art School
- Watters Gallery
- National Gallery of Australia
- Women's Art Movement
- Australia Council
- Monash University Museum of Art
- Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
- Sutton Gallery
- Milani Gallery
Locations
- Wyong
- New South Wales
- Sydney
- Canberra
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Australia