ARTIST'S PROFILE
 
Vivien is drawn to colour.  Like most Symbolists, she tends to disregard tone and to flatten form.  Bright flat areas of colour are frequently outlined in strong dark colour reminiscent of stained glass.  She transforms nature to fit the concept of her own imagination.  A decorative effect predominates in all of her paintings.
As a child, Vivien was said to be 'taking it all in'.  A dreamer, even then, she derived much pleasure and satisfaction from induced hallucinations allowing her imagination free rein of expression.  She drew incessantly following her own yellow brick road to regions yet undiscovered.
 
Copyright 2004 David Tingey. All Rights Reserved.
Vivien Tingey
Symbolist
 
In her 'teens', Vivien gained a scholarship to Harrow School of Art (outer London) where she studied full time for three years graduating with a National Diploma for Book Illustration..her chosen course.
On leaving she obtained employment at an Art Agency affiliated to the National Press in London's Trafalgar Square.  Her lunchtimes were spent feasting on the paintings exhibited in Art Galleriesin and around London.  At the same time she managed to freelance, illustrating short stories and anthologies.
In July of 1968, Vivien emigrated to Australia.  It is then that she took up painting with a passion finding illustrating both restricting and unfulfilling.
Vivien's imagination know's no bounds.  A mere line of poetry, book or song title or more often than not, a disturbing dream that offers no explanation..bordering on the ridiculous.
Her paintings are frequently described as surreal though not entirely.  They are always decorative, often cryptic, invariably figurative and occasionally humorous.
 
Galleries exhibited in and around Melbourne.