Eileen Mayo
Encyclopedia
Dame
Eileen Rosemary Mayo, RA
, DBE
(11 September 1906-4 January 1994) was an English
-born artist and designer who worked in England
, Australia
and New Zealand
in almost every available medium - drawings, woodcuts, lithographs on stone and tempera, tapestry and silk screening. In addition to being a printmaker, illustrator, calligrapher and muralist, she designed coins, stamps, tapestry and posters, and wrote and illustrated eight books on natural science.
and educated in Yorkshire
and the Clifton High School, Bristol. She had a thorough grounding in art, studying at the Slade School in London, the Central School of Arts and Crafts and under Henry Moore
at the Chelsea Polytechnic.
In 1927 she was instructed in lino-cutting by Claude Flight
over the telephone. Her resulting print was called "Turkish Bath", which was included in the Redfern Gallery's 'First Exhibition of British Linocuts'. The picture was subsequently bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum
. In 1940 she moved to Paris
to study with Fernand Léger
at the Académie Montmartre.
She held teaching positions at St. Martin's School of Art and Sir John Cass College in London. She became a member of the Society of Wood Engravers
, and wrote and illustrated a series of books. She also exhibited at the Royal Academy and with the Royal Society of British Artists
. For a time she worked as an artists' model, working for Bernard Meninsky
, Duncan Grant
, Dod Procter
and particularly Laura Knight
.
; she designed the first issue when it appeared in 1949. The marriage ended in 1952.
As part of the Australian Commonwealth series of six postage stamp
s issued between 1959 and 1962 she designed the platypus
for the one-shilling stamp and was awarded the Vizard-Wholohan Prize for prints in 1962. Other stamps in the series feature the kangaroo, banded anteater, tiger cat, rabbit bandicoot and the Tasmanian tiger (now believed extinct). This stamp series is significant as it was one of the earliest attempts at putting Australian flora and fauna on stamps. In addition it was one of the first times that a designer further commercialised their designs by producing poster versions of the stamp artwork and made them available for sale. This series, the first to be designed by a woman, were for the Postmaster-General's Department
now called Australia Post
. Mayo produced many stamp and poster designs depicting the flora and fauna of Australia.
(SFA) until 1972. For more than three years she also worked on an underwater diorama with Otago Museum. A founding member of Sydney Printmakers, she was on the Print Council of New Zealand. Apart from a period in Dunedin
from 1972 to 1975, she remained in Christchurch
until her death. Her last works were silkscreen prints, which she found the easiest medium to use with decreasing mobility, insisting, as always, that they be sold at affordable prices.
commemoratives
and three fish stamps of the 1970 definitive series
for the New Zealand Post Office
.
Illustrated by Eileen Mayo
in the 1994 New Year's Honours List one week before her death at the age of 87.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
Eileen Rosemary Mayo, RA
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, DBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(11 September 1906-4 January 1994) was an English
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...
-born artist and designer who worked in England
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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in almost every available medium - drawings, woodcuts, lithographs on stone and tempera, tapestry and silk screening. In addition to being a printmaker, illustrator, calligrapher and muralist, she designed coins, stamps, tapestry and posters, and wrote and illustrated eight books on natural science.
Life in England
She was born in NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and educated in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and the Clifton High School, Bristol. She had a thorough grounding in art, studying at the Slade School in London, the Central School of Arts and Crafts and under Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
at the Chelsea Polytechnic.
In 1927 she was instructed in lino-cutting by Claude Flight
Claude Flight
Walter Claude Flight also known as Claude Flight or W. Claude Flight was a British artist who pioneered and popularised the linoleum cut technique. He also painted, illustrated and made wood cuts. He was the son of Walter Flight.Flight was a fervent promoter of the linoleum cut technique from the...
over the telephone. Her resulting print was called "Turkish Bath", which was included in the Redfern Gallery's 'First Exhibition of British Linocuts'. The picture was subsequently bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
. In 1940 she moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study with Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
at the Académie Montmartre.
She held teaching positions at St. Martin's School of Art and Sir John Cass College in London. She became a member of the Society of Wood Engravers
Society of Wood Engravers
The Society of Wood Engravers was co-founded in 1920 by British wood engraving artist Gwendoline Raverat, wife of French painter Jacques Raverat.The Society was revived in 1984 by Hilary Paynter. It publishes a bulletin called Multiples....
, and wrote and illustrated a series of books. She also exhibited at the Royal Academy and with the Royal Society of British Artists
Royal Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.-History:...
. For a time she worked as an artists' model, working for Bernard Meninsky
Bernard Meninsky
Bernard Meninsky was a figurative artist, painter of figures and landscape in oils, watercolour and gouache, draughtsman and teacher. He was born in Karotopin now in the Ukraine but raised in Liverpool where he attended the Liverpool School of Art in 1906 after initially attending evening classes...
, Duncan Grant
Duncan Grant
Duncan James Corrowr Grant was a British painter and designer of textiles, potterty and theatre sets and costumes...
, Dod Procter
Dod Procter
Dod Procter was a Cornish artist, and wife of artist Ernest Procter. Her painting, Morning, was bought for the nation by the Daily Mail in 1927.-Life and work:...
and particularly Laura Knight
Laura Knight
Dame Laura Knight, DBE was an English Impressionist painter known for painting the world of London's theatre, ballet and circus.-Early life and education:...
.
Marriage
In 1936 she married Dr Richard Gainsborough, who founded Art News & ReviewsArtReview
-Publication:ArtReview covers established and emerging artists in a mixture of international exhibition reviews, artist profiles, city art tours and artist commissions, including artist projects published as supplements to the regular edition of the magazine...
; she designed the first issue when it appeared in 1949. The marriage ended in 1952.
Life in Australia
Mayo emigrated to Australia in 1952 after separating from her husband and became one of the many migrants who contributed to the postwar print revival. She taught at the National Art School in Sydney and was a member of Sydney Printmakers. Her career in Australia included working on murals and designing tapestries and posters.Stamp design in Australia
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s issued between 1959 and 1962 she designed the platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
for the one-shilling stamp and was awarded the Vizard-Wholohan Prize for prints in 1962. Other stamps in the series feature the kangaroo, banded anteater, tiger cat, rabbit bandicoot and the Tasmanian tiger (now believed extinct). This stamp series is significant as it was one of the earliest attempts at putting Australian flora and fauna on stamps. In addition it was one of the first times that a designer further commercialised their designs by producing poster versions of the stamp artwork and made them available for sale. This series, the first to be designed by a woman, were for the Postmaster-General's Department
Postmaster-General's Department
The Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
now called Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
. Mayo produced many stamp and poster designs depicting the flora and fauna of Australia.
Life in New Zealand
In 1962, she moved to Waimate, New Zealand, where her mother and sister had lived since 1921. By 1965 Mayo had moved to Christchurch, where she taught at the University of CanterburyUniversity of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
(SFA) until 1972. For more than three years she also worked on an underwater diorama with Otago Museum. A founding member of Sydney Printmakers, she was on the Print Council of New Zealand. Apart from a period in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
from 1972 to 1975, she remained in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
until her death. Her last works were silkscreen prints, which she found the easiest medium to use with decreasing mobility, insisting, as always, that they be sold at affordable prices.
Stamp design in New Zealand
Mayo continued to design stamps in New Zealand, such as the 1969 Cook Bicentenary and 1971 Antarctic Treaty, and UNICEFUnited Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
commemoratives
Commemorative stamp
A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event or person. The subject of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike definitive stamps which normally depict the subject along with the...
and three fish stamps of the 1970 definitive series
Definitive stamp
A definitive stamp is a postage stamp, that is part of a regular issue of a country's stamps available for sale by the postal service for an extended period of time...
for the New Zealand Post Office
New Zealand Post Office
The New Zealand Post Office was a New Zealand government department.As a Government Department, the New Zealand Post Office or N.Z.P.O., previously the Post and Telegraph Department or P & T, had as the political head the Postmaster General who was a member of Cabinet, and, when it was a separate...
.
Eileen Mayo studied at the following institutions
- The Slade School of Fine Art, London (1924–25)
- Grosvenor School of Modern ArtGrosvenor School Of Modern ArtSituated at 33 Warwick Square in Pimlico, London,The Grosvenor School of Modern Art was a British Art School founded by the printmakers and linocut artists Claude Flight, Iain McNab, Cyril Edward Power and Sybil Andrews in 1925....
under Claude FlightClaude FlightWalter Claude Flight also known as Claude Flight or W. Claude Flight was a British artist who pioneered and popularised the linoleum cut technique. He also painted, illustrated and made wood cuts. He was the son of Walter Flight.Flight was a fervent promoter of the linoleum cut technique from the... - Central School of Arts and Crafts, London under Noel RookeNoel Rooke-Life:Rooke was born in Acton, in London, where he would remain all of his life. His father was Thomas Matthews Rooke, for many years Edward Burne-Jones' studio assistant, and an accomplished artist in his own right; his mother Leonora Rooke , who had been governess to Burne-Jones daughter, Margaret...
and John FarleighJohn FarleighJohn Farleigh , also known as Frederick William Charles Farleigh, was an English wood-engraver, noted for his illustrations of George Bernard Shaw's work The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God, which caused controversy when released due to the religious, sexual and racial themes...
. - Chelsea Polytechnic (1936), London
- Academie Montmarte, Paris (1948–49) under Ferdinand Léger
Eileen Mayo lectured at the following institutions
- St Martin's School of Art
- Sir John Cass College, London (1950–53)
- National Art School, Sydney (1957–62)
- School of Fine Art, University of Canterbury (from 1967)
Eileen Mayo's work is represented in many public collections in New Zealand
- Aigantighe Art Gallery
- Dowse Art Museum
- Dunedin Public Art GalleryDunedin Public Art GalleryThe Dunedin Public Art Gallery holds the main public art collection of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located in The Octagon in the heart of the city, it is close to the city's public library, municipal chambers, and other facilities such as the Regent Theatre.-History:The gallery was founded by...
- Hocken LibraryHocken LibraryThe Hocken Library is a research library, historical archive and art gallery based in the New Zealand city of Dunedin...
- Manawatu Art Gallery
- Christchurch Art Gallery
- National Library of New ZealandNational Library of New ZealandThe National Library of New Zealand is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations"...
- Rotorua Museum of Art and HistoryRotorua Museum of Art and HistoryThe Rotorua Museum of Art and History is a local museum and art gallery located in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand.The museum is housed in the old Bath House building at the spa town of Rotorua, located in the Government Gardens. Rotorua Museum opened in the south wing of the Bath...
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaThe Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
- Alexander Turnbull Library
Book Illustrations
Written and Illustrated by Eileen Mayo- The Story Of Living Things and Their Evolution
- Nature's ABC
- Little Animals of the Countryside
- Larger Animals of the Countryside
- Animals on the Farm
- Shells and How They Live
- Serge LifarSerge LifarSerge Lifar ; 15 December 1986) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer of Ukrainian origin, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century.-Biography:Lifar was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
: Sixteen Drawings in Black and White - The Story of Living Things and their Evolution
Illustrated by Eileen Mayo
- First French Course for Seniors
- Some Scottish Dances
- Best Cat Stories
- A Primer of Classical Ballet (Cecchetti Method) for Children
- A Second Primer of Classical Ballet (Cecchetti Method) for Children
- One Day on Beetle Rock
- Rational Limbering
- The Story of the World
- The Children's Circus Book
- Japanese Garland
- Toys
- The Poems of Amriolkais (Sir Williams Jones, translator)
List of works
- Woman at a dressing table colour linoleum cut circa 1930
- Works in the collection of the Christchurch Art Gallery
Damehood
She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the 1994 New Year's Honours List one week before her death at the age of 87.
External links
- Works and records related to Eileen Mayo in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Christchurch Art Gallery
- Tate Gallery, London - A comprehensive collection of photograph's and letters
- Tate Gallery, London - Curiously they have a lock of Eileen Mayo's hair