biography

David Boyd was born in Melbourne in 1924 to painter and potter parents Merric and Doris Boyd, who gave him instruction in pottery and visual arts. He was a member of The Contemporary Art Society of Australia (Victoria) 1942-1962. He attended the National Gallery of Victoria Art School 1944-1945. He was recognised as a master potter in a creative partnership with wife Hermia in Australia and England in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

In 1958 he exhibited in Melbourne a series of symbolic paintings on the Australian explorers. In Australia a storm of controversy surrounded this and subsequent work based on the tragic history of the Tasmanian Aborigines. “Monoliths”, a painting from this series, won him the Italian Government Art Scholarship prize for Australia in 1961. David moved to Rome in 1962 with Hermia and their 3 children and, with the assistance of the scholarship, he continued “The Trial”, a series on the theme of law and justice. This series and paintings from “The Tasmanians” were exhibited to critical acclaim in a one-man exhibition in London and Paris in 1963.

After a second journey (1963-1964) in Spain - the first was in the early 1950’s - David produced the “Church and State” (1964-1965) series. The series was concerned with contemporary tyranny and violence personified in the domination of Church and State in fascist Spain during the Franco regime. It was in the London exhibition of “Church and State” that David Boyd’s work first won significant international recognition.

“Church and State” was followed by works (1966-1968) drawn with the flame of candles under oil glazing colours. This series, which was inspired by facets of contemporary London life, David Boyd called “Sfumato”, reviving the term Leonardo used to describe imperceptible changes of tone in painting.

In 1969 a major retrospective which travelled in England and Scotland was organised by the Commonwealth Institute, London.

Since returning from Europe in 1975 David has held numerous exhibitions in Australia and internationally. His work is held in public and private collections worldwide, including:

Harold Mertz collection, USA National Gallery, Canberra
Australian War Memorial, Canberra Art Gallery of South Australia
Ballarat Art Gallery Queensland Art Gallery
Sydney University, Law Faculty Usher Gallery, Lincoln, England
Fine Arts Dept., Melbourne University Adelaide Art Teachers College
Monash University Law School, Melbourne University
Newcastle Regional Art Gallery Power Collection, Sydney University
Bendigo Art Gallery Art Gallery of New South Wales