The Paintings of David Armitage
BIOGRAPHY
“I listen to music as I paint: I love the musical space as it breathes and floats. At times the equivalent can be rather like painting on the sky or on water”
David Armitage
Born in Tasmania in 1943 Armitage studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where he lectured in life drawing and portraiture during his final year. In 1967 he moved to New Zealand with his wife Ronda and took up the post of Exhibition’s Officer at Auckland City Art Gallery, curating national and international exhibitions. He has lived in the UK since 1974 where he has continued his art practice as well as illustrating many successful children’s books, authored by his wife Ronda. Armitage has enjoyed much success, garnering respect from fellow artists and critics, and has exhibited and sold work widely, including shows in London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Bristol, Auckland, New York
and Montreal.
Exhibitions
1968 – 1978 Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland.
1971 Palmerston North Art Gallery.
1973 Survey exhibition touring N.Z. public galleries.
1988 Beldesign, Cambridge.
1989 Quay Arts Centre, Newport; One One Nine Gallery,London.
1992 ADT College, London.
1993 Duncan Campbell Contemporary Art, London.
1994 Christ Hospital, Horsham.
1995 Atlantis, London.
1996 Mitre Gallery, Chichester; The Maltings, Farnham; The Hawth Arts Centre, Crawley.
1997 Windsor Arts Centre; Hanover Gallery, Liverpool; Seagate, Dundee; Star Gallery, Lewes; Mappin Gallery, Sheffield.
1998 Trinity Arts Centre,Tunbridge Wells.
1999 Rye Festival Artist
1999 Art 2000: Listening to Bruckner:Exhibition in Guildford Cathedral
2000 Bridgeview Office Complex, Aberdeen; Modern Artists Gallery, Oxon;
Parkview Fine Paintings, Bristol; Bishop Phillpott Gallery, Truro
2003 Steading Gallery, near Kirkudbright
2004 Modern Artists Gallery: Oxon.
2005 Trinity Arts Tunbridge Wells
2006 & 2008 The Designs Gallery, Castle Douglas
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1966-78 Many group exhibitions throughout New Zealand.
1972 Bonython Gallery, Sydney.
1975 New York; Young Artists 75.
1991 John Gruzelier Modern and Contemporary Art, Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, Gardner Arts Centre, University of Sussex.
1998/9 Rye Gallery, Star Gallery, Lewes: Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne.
1999/2000 Crossover: A Millenium Exhibition, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
2001 Sussex Artists, Abbeville Festival, France; Parkview Fine Paintings, Bristol.
2002 Bettie Morton Gallery, Brixton; Duncan and Jordanstone College, Dundee.
2003 Australian High Commission, London.
2008 Farleys Farm Gallery, Chiddingly, East Sussex.
2009 Oxford Union debate on conceptual art.
2010 Modern Artists Gallery, Oxon.
2011 Farleys Farm Gallery, Chiddingly, East Sussex.
2012 Gallery Gora, Montreal