Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 32 Dr Bronwyn Bancroft AM

Bronwyn Bancroft is a proud Bundjalung Woman and Artist.

Her career has included both national and international exhibitions and her work has been acquired by all major Australian galleries, state libraries, and private collections. She has undertaken numerous public commissions, which allow her to reach and educate audiences beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Bronwyn’s artistic style is immediately recognizable for its bold use of colour, intricate patterns, and dynamic compositions that exude life and energy. Her work is distinctly contemporary, incorporating modern painting techniques and innovative compositional structures.

She has also been a trailblazer in children's literature, having published nearly 50 books. She's been a director of her own company, Designer Aboriginals, since 1985. And in 1987 was one of the first Australian fashion designers to be invited to exhibit her works in Paris.

She has a long history of involvement in community and arts administration, has a Diploma of Visual Arts, two master's, and a PhD in visual arts.

Bronwyn Bancroft is an artist, an author and illustrator, a leader and mentor. She has inspired and directly supported countless emerging artists, sharing her hard-earned wisdom and nurturing new talent.

Bronwyn has a retrospective opening on October 24th at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in Leichhardt NSW. Copy and paste this link in your browser for details:

https://boomalli.com.au/events/i-am-gurgun/

Head to the link in my bio for our podcast conversation.

Images

1. BB

2. You don't even look Aboriginal, 1991, watercolour, photograph, collage on paper 110x75.7

3. My Woman, My Country, 1995, watercolour, gouache on paper, 76x75.5

4. Cloud over past generations, 1991, colour screenprint 56.6x65.6

5. Lionsville Livin’, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 300x200

6. Vivid Festival 2025, 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘛𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭 created by Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft in collaboration with Chas Clarkson

Australian Women Artists

The podcast

Ep. 31 Eleanor Louise Butt

My guest on today’s podcast for Australian Women Artists is contemporary artist Eleanor Louise Butt.

She’s celebrated for her abstract paintings where colour, texture, line, and form converge to bristle with gestural energy and movement...we explore that during our conversation because I find that fascinating.

Her work evolves from studio experimentation and her approach to artmaking is deeply philosophical, viewing painting as a form of visual conversation. She describes observing her paintings developing "like a conversation, whereby each mark influences the next.” Again, something we needed to explore. Eleanor has received numerous accolades throughout her career.

She won the Muswellbrook Art Prize for painting and the George Hicks Award. She’s been a finalist in multiple prestigious prizes, including the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Len Fox Painting Award, Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize, Muswellbrook Art Prize, Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Waverley Art Prize, Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, and M-Collection Art Award. Her work is held in significant public and private collections globally.

Head to my bio to have a listen to her episode.

She will have work at the Sydney Contemporary where she will also be giving a talk (link below).

Eleanor’s artist talk at Sydney Contemporary, Sep 11 2-3pm, is listed here: https://sydneycontemporary.com.au/event/artist-talk-eleanor-louise-butt-chloe-in-conversation-on-the-booth/

She is represented by @comagallery

1. ELB image supplied by artist

2.Unfolding Abstraction, Thinking Three-Dimensionally 2022 Oil on linen 152 x 168cm with drop-shadow

3.Unfolding Orange Abstraction 2023 Oil on cotton 25.5 x 35cm

4. The Garden’s Embrace oil on linen, 167x127

5. Eleanor’s Porthmeor Studio, Cornwall, UK 2019

6. Within the Garden (Autumn Painting 2) 2022 oil on cotton 160x200 purchased by MCA

Australian Women Artists

The Podcast

Episode 28

Artists of Influence: Carol Jerrems (influencing Tamara Dean, ep. 2)

Welcome to another edition of AWA artists of influence.

For those who’ve heard some of these podcasts, you’ll remember that the last question I ask is: Is there an Australian woman artist who has inspired or influenced you and if so, who and how?

I’ve decided to explore a little further the artists who were named as influences by my podcast guests.

In ep. 2 I asked this question of critically acclaimed Australian photomedia artist Tamara Dean. And her response was Carol Jerrems.

Carol Jerrems (1949-1980) stands as one of Australia's most significant photographers, despite a career tragically cut short.

In her brief but prolific working life, she created an extraordinary body of work that captured the spirit, struggles, and raw beauty of Australian youth in the 1970s.

Head to the link in my bio to hear about Carol (or whichever platform you find your podcasts).

Both Tamara and I refer to Carol’s work, ‘Vale Street’ (1975). This platform prevents the image being reproduced but copy and paste this link in your browser to have a look.

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/46.1979/

And while you’re looking at Carol’s work, take a look also at Tamara Dean’s photographic work and see if you can see the influences on her that she talks about. You can see more of Tamara’s work at www.tamaradean.com.au

Images

1. CJ by Stuart Holmes

2. Self Portrait, Kingsgate Hyatt Hotel Room, 1973 Kings Cross

3. Rita on the couch at Killcare Beach, 1976 NGA

4. Edols seeing Gulpilil with a bucket 1974 NGA

5. Jenny Bonnette 1974 NGA