Elaine Kowalsky
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ELAINE KOWALSKY

24 September 1948 - 17 September 2005

27 Aberavon Road, Bow, London, E3 5AR
Streetmap

Tel/fax 0208 981 5747
elaine@kowalsky.co.uk

Born 24 September 1948 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

 

    

Extract from The Guardian Obituary

Vivacious printmaker and campaigner whose work echoed her personality.

Elaine Kowalsky, who has died in a car accident aged 56, was an artist of distinction whose work was exhibited internationally. An unapologetic and passionate Canadian, she was also firmly embedded in London's East End, where she lived and worked for more than 25 years.

Her greatest artistic achievement was in the medium of printmaking: her boldly experimental woodcuts, measuring 6ft x 4ft, arrested the eye with their vivid imagery, sumptuous colour and the sheer verve of her mark-making. She worked in a wide range of media: besides lithography, monoprinting, painting and drawing, she produced artists' books, ceramics, rugs and screens, and even a pop-up book, The Dog Detective of Barking (1994).

Full Obituary by Judith Nesbitt

Extract from n.paradoxa's Obituary

She wrote the Diary for n.paradoxa anonymously. We discussed many times the reasons for doing this column and for keeping her identity secret: primarily to separate her own career from the Diary's playful and witty fantasies about the aspirations and difficulties of being a well-connected woman artist (of a certain age) struggling to gain recognition in London's sexist, ageist and highly competitive art world. A sample of the Diary was broadcast once on Canadian radio. We both had aspirations that it would be widely read and well-received and could gain a broader audience.

Full Obituary by The Editor of n.paradoxa - Katy Deepwell

 

EDUCATION
1992-94 Masters in Visual Theory, University of East London (distinction for thesis)
1974-75 Post Graduate Diploma in Printmaking, Faculty of art & Design, Brighton Polytechnic
1973-74 Post Graduate Diploma in Printmaking, St Martin's School of Art
1967-71 Diploma of Art University of Manitoba, School of Art
1998 NCVQ unit U1023030-1 for planning and assessing GNVQS DTP Level 3
 

AWARDS
2003 Design and Copyright Society, Long service award
2000 Elephant Trust, Catalogue Publication Freud Museum
1997 Association of Museums of painting & Sculpture, Istanbul, Invited Artists
  Henry Moore Fellowship in Printmaking, Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds
1989 Glasgow Print workshop Publications
1989 Greater London Arts Association Exhibition Grant
1985 Greater London Arts/Northern arts, Artist Residence, Lowick House
1979 South East Arts Project Award
1977 Arts Council Of Great Britain Studio Conversion Grant for North Studios, Printmakers Co-operative, Brighton, South East Arts Exhibition Grant
1973 Canada Council B Grant Arts Award
 

ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS & SELECTED
2004 North, Platform, 3 Wilkes Street, London
2004 The Reluctant Bride, An installation, 3 Fournier Street, London
2000 Freud Museum, Marian & Dorothy, London
2000 Leicester City Art Gallery, Printmaker of the Month
2000 APT Gallery, Place, Three Person Show, London
1996 Anna Bornholt Gallery, London
1995 Redfern Gallery, Four Contemporary Printmakers, London
1994 Open studios Print Workshop, Toronto
1993 Midlands Arts centre, Print Focus Birmingham
  Taunton Technical College Gallery, Taunton, Retrospective 1983 - 1993
  Merkmal Gallery, Domestic Alchemy, Liverpool
1990 Oxford Gallery, Three generations of relief printmakers
1990 Canada House gallery, Rugs & Related Prints, London
1989 Redfern Gallery, Three Person Show, London
1989 Shu Yu Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1988-89 Touring show, Hearts & Vessels, Cooper Art Gallery, Barnsley Art Gallery, Plymouth Arts Centre
1988 Leeds City Art Gallery, Hearts & Vessels
1986 Ikon Gallery, Larger Than Life, Birmingham
1986 Canada House Gallery, Larger Than Life, London
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OTHER EXHIBITIONS
2004 20th exhibition Design and Copyright Society, Mall Gallery, London
2003 Art in Heaven, Brighton Fringe Festival, St.Joseph's Catholic Church
2003-2005 Kingston University Touring Show, Drawing -The Process, Loughborough
  University, Birmingham Art Gallery, The Chapel Gallery, The Hot Bath Gallery, Clifford Fisher Gallery
2001 Art, Age & Gender, Women's Foundation for art, Orleans House, Twickenham
2001-2 Weber State University Gallery, Contemporary British Prints, USA
2000 Leeds City Art Gallery, The Idea Of North, UK
1999-2001 Leicester City Art Gallery Touring Shows, Lasting Impressions & Souvenirs
1997 Association of Museums of Painting & Sculpture, Istanbul, Meeting in Art
1996-97 Portland Art Museum, Portland USA, International Print Exhibition
1996 Birmingham City Art Gallery, Print Survey Part 2, Birmingham UK
1993 Whitney's Art Gallery, London, National Open Print Competition
1994 Leeds City Art Gallery, Images of Women
1994-95 Johannesburg Art Gallery, My Grandmother, My Mother, Myself
1995 Southampton City Art Gallery, My Grandmother, My Mother, Myself, UK
1994 Royal Society of Etchers & Engravers, National Print Competition - Invited Guest
1993-97 Angela Flowers Gallery, Small is Beautiful exhibition, London, UK
1993-94 Ikon Gallery Touring Show, A - Z of Printmaking
1993-96 Arts Council of Great Britain Touring exhibition, Out of the Wood
1992 Xylon Museum, Werrkstatten, Switzerland, Micheal Rothenstein & a New Generation of Printmakers
1989 Wrexham Gallery, Wales, Wall to Wall Colour-Artist Rugs
1988-89 Rouge Press Touring Show
1989 Printmakers Council, From Drawing to Print, Swiss Cottage Library
1986 Worchester City Art Gallery, Contemporary Wood Cuts
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COMMISSIONS
2001 Rushmore Primary School, London, Ceramic Mural
1998 Hertford Village Hospital Mural, Short-listed
1990 Dover Castle, Kent Banners
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PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
  Canada Council Art Bank, Canada
  Manitoba Government, Canada
  South East Arts Association, UK
  Washington State University, USA
  Tower Hamlets Lending Library, UK
  University of Manitoba, Canada
  Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canada
  Victoria & Albert Museum, UK
  Worchester City Art Gallery, UK
  Leicester Education Authority, UK
  Manchester City Art Gallery, UK
  Smithsonian institute, Washington, UK
  Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester UK
  Australian National Gallery, Sydney
  Association for the Museums of Painting & Sculpture, Istanbul
  Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds.UK
  Birmingham City Art Gallery, Birmingham UK
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WORKSHOPS & LECTURES
2002 Master Class, Martha Street Print Studios, Winnipeg
2000 The Idea of North, Leeds City Art Gallery, storey telling workshop
1997 Meeting In Art, Istanbul
1995 Images of Women, Leeds City Art Gallery, panel discussion
1993 Printmaking -Its Secrets, Whitworth Art Gallery
1987- 89 Printmaking Workshop, Leeds City Art Gallery Education Dept.
1989 Manitoba Printmakers Print Workshop, lecture on monoprints
1987 Printmaking Workshop, Manitoba Printmakers
1985 Printmaking Workshop, Worchester City art gallery
1981-83 Artists in Schools Program, Whitechaple Art Gallery, London
1981 Contemporary British Printmakers, UAAL Conference, University of McGill
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POSITIONS HELD
2000-2003 Honorary President Designers & Artists Copyright Society
1995-2000 Chairperson, Council of Management, Designer & Artist's Copyright Society.
1990-93 The Princes Trust, Youth Business advisor
1984-85 Chairperson, Print Makers Council
1982-83 Honorary Secretary, Print Makers Council
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CATALOGUES & PUBLICATIONS
2004 North, exhibition pamphlet, Platform gallery
2000 Marian & Dorothy, exhibition catalogue, Freud Museum
1995 Meeting in Art, exhibition catalogue, Association for Museums of Painting & Sculpture, Istanbul
1995 North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century, a biographical dictionary ed. Jules Heller & Nancy G. Heller, Garland Publishing Inc. New York & London
1995  New Narratives: Katy Deepwell on Elaine Kowalsky Women's Art Magazine, no 63. March/April
1994 Elaine Kowalsky, Printmakers Today, vol.4, no.4 winter 1994.p.17 Tessa Sidy
1994 Wood Engraving & the Woodcut in Britain 1880 - 1990. James Hamilton. Barrie & Jenkins ltd. London
Nov. 1990 Artist's Books, Cathy Courtney, Art Monthly
1988  Hearts & Vessels. Exhibition catalogue, Leeds City Art Gallery
1988  Work From Rouge Press. Exhibition catalougue.
1986  Larger Than Life, exhibition catalogue, Canada House Publication, London
  Diary of an Ageing Art Slut, n.paradoxa@ukonline
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
PRIMARY, SECONDARY, FURTHOR EDUCATION, DEGREE & POST GRADUATE
2003-04 Contextual Studies, Southgate College of Further Education, Art & Design
2002-03 Art Supply Teaching Holy Family secondary Technical college Yrs 7-8
2001-03 Artists in Schools Program, primary - secondary, Greater London Area
2000-1991 Visiting Tutor in Printmaking, University of Brighton
2000-1991 Tutor in A level Art Lewishan college of Further education
1999-1993 Communications in Art & Design, GNVQ Intermediate, Hatchemwood Secondary Modern, London
1997-1993 Extra Mural Moderator, Extra Mural studies, Birkbeck Collage, University of London
1997-1995 Visiting Tutor in Print & Drawing, University of East London
2000-1990 Tutor, BTEC Creative Development for Nursery nurse, Lewisham College of FE
1999-1994 Visiting tutor in MA Printmaking, Camberwell College of Art, London Institute
1992-1990 Visiting tutor in Printmaking, Foundation & BTEC, Harlow college of FE
1991 Visiting, lecturer, Slade school of Art, University of London, MA printmaking
1990 Visiting lecturer, Coventry Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design
Visiting Lecturer, Newcastle Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design, Print workshop
1989 Visiting Lecturer, Manchester Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design, MA Printmaking
Visiting Lecturer, Dartington College of Fine Art, Printmaking Workshop
Visiting Lecturer, Hull Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design, Print workshop
1988 Visiting Lecturer Sheffield Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design
Visiting Lecturer Nottingham Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design
Visiting Lecturer, Cork School of Art, Cork, Ireland
Visiting Lecturer Hatfield Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design. Print workshop
1988-1986 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking, Falmouth School of Art
1988-1984 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking, Leicester Polytechnic, Dept of Art & Design
1988-1986 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking Foundation & BTEC, Harlow College of FE
1983-1979 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking, Conservation Department, Camberwell Collage of Art
1986 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking ,West Surrey Collage of Art
1982 Visiting Lecturer in Printmaking ,Canterbury College of Art, Print workshop
1982-1978 Lecturer, Silkscreen Workshop, Foundation & Adult Education, City Lit. Institute
1978-1980 Evening printmaking Classes for Workers' Educational Association, North Star Studios Print Workshop
Evening printmaking Classes for Workers' Educational Association, North Star Studios Print Workshop
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