Conroy Maddox
Encyclopedia
Conroy Maddox was an English
surrealist painter
, collagist, writer and lecturer; and a key figure in the Birmingham Surrealist
movement.
He was born in Ledbury
, Herefordshire
, and discovered surrealism
in 1935, spending the rest of his life exploring its potential through his paintings, collage
s, photographs, objects and texts. Inspired by artists such as Max Ernst
, Oscar Domínguez
and Salvador Dalí
, he rejected academic painting in favour of techniques that expressed the surrealistic spirit of rebellion. Maddox officially joined the British Surrealist Group
in 1938.
His creations soon began not only to challenge the conventional view of reality, but also to push pictorial expression to the limits of consciousness. He was even implicated in both scandal and controversy when, during World War II
, Scotland Yard
suspected him of fifth columnist sabotage and mounted a surprise raid to seize works thought to contain coded messages to the enemy.
Following the war he moved to moved to Balsall Heath
and began his most active period.
In 1948, he married Nan Burton. They had a daughter and a son together, but had the marriage dissolved in 1955. He died in London, aged 92.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
surrealist painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, collagist, writer and lecturer; and a key figure in the Birmingham Surrealist
Birmingham Surrealists
The Birmingham Surrealists were an informal grouping of artists and intellectuals associated with the Surrealist movement in art, based in Birmingham, England from the 1930s to the 1950s....
movement.
He was born in Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, and discovered surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
in 1935, spending the rest of his life exploring its potential through his paintings, collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
s, photographs, objects and texts. Inspired by artists such as Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
, Oscar Domínguez
Óscar Domínguez
Oscar M. Domínguez was a Spanish surrealist painter.Born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on the island of Tenerife, Domínguez spent his youth with his grandmother in Tacoronte and devoted himself to painting at a young age after suffering a serious illness which affected his growth and caused a...
and Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, he rejected academic painting in favour of techniques that expressed the surrealistic spirit of rebellion. Maddox officially joined the British Surrealist Group
British Surrealist Group
The British Surrealist Group was involved in the organisation of the International Surrealist Exhibition in London in 1936.The London Bulletin was published by the Surrealist Group in England, according to the June 1940 edition , edited by E. L. T...
in 1938.
His creations soon began not only to challenge the conventional view of reality, but also to push pictorial expression to the limits of consciousness. He was even implicated in both scandal and controversy when, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
suspected him of fifth columnist sabotage and mounted a surprise raid to seize works thought to contain coded messages to the enemy.
Following the war he moved to moved to Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
and began his most active period.
In 1948, he married Nan Burton. They had a daughter and a son together, but had the marriage dissolved in 1955. He died in London, aged 92.
Exhibitions
- 1938 - Wertheim Gallery, London
- 1940 - London Gallery, London
- 1940 - Surrealism Today, Zwemmer Gallery, London
- 1940 - Artists International Association
- 1945 - Leicester Galleries, London
- 1947 - International Surrealist Exhibition, Paris
- 1949 - Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Galleries
- 1949 - Bilston Corporation Art Gallery
- 1951 - Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Galleries
- 1963 - Grabowski Gallery, London
- 1967 - Zwemmer Gallery, London
- 1967 - Exeter City Gallery, Exeter
- 1973 - Hamet Gallery, London
- 1976 - Gouaches of the 1940s, Fischer Fine Art, London
- 1978 - Surrealism Unlimited, Camden Arts CentreCamden Arts CentreCamden Arts Centre is a contemporary visual art gallery, dedicated to engaging living artists from across the world. Positioning the artist at the centre of the programme, Camden Arts Centre strives to involve the public in the ideas and work of today's artists.The exhibition and education...
, London - 1982 - Peinture Surrealiste en Angleterre 1930-1960, Galerie 1900-2000, Paris
- 1994 - Paintings and Objects, Gallery M, London
- 2000 - Surrealism in Birmingham 1935-1955, Birmingham Museums
- 2001 - Conroy Maddox. A Surrealist Odyssey, Belgrave Gallery, London
External links
- Obituary by Peter DaviesPeter DaviesPeter Davies may refer to:*Sir Peter Maxwell Davies , British composer and conductor*Peter Ho Davies , British writer*Peter Davies , English cricketer...
from the Independent newspaper (UK), 15 January 2005 - Obituary from The Times newspaper (UK), 17 January 2005
- Obituary from the Daily Telegraph newspaper (UK), 21 January 2005
- Conroy Maddox at the Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
- Interview National Life Stories