Maggi Hambling

The Great Women Artists

Katy Hessel

Arts

4.8 • 877 Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2019

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In Episode 11 of The Great Women Artists Podcast, Katy Hessel interviews the legendary British painter and sculptor, MAGGI HAMBLING! And WOW was it fun (and definitely an experience!) to visit the very brilliant Maggi in her South London studio to speak about her extensive and incredible five decades-and-counting career. Known for her portraits of the likes of comedian Max Wall to chemist Dorothy Hodgkin, sublime depictions of seascapes, public sculptures that include a 4-metre high steel 'Scallop' on Aldeburgh Beach, Maggi is always one to give her viewer some sort of immediate reaction, whether that be physical, emotional, or at times, controversial. Born in 1945, Maggi grew up in rural Suffolk with her two older siblings – which we discuss weren't particularly happy about her being a girl – before going on to study under Cedric Morris and Lett Haines, and later Camberwell, and the Slade School of Art. In this episode – which starts with a little surprise – we discuss the artist's upbringing and beginnings with art, what led her to become top in her class age 15, her time being the first artist in residence at London’s National Gallery in 1980, to painting the truth in comedians, dealing with grief through painting (referencing her nickname Maggi "coffin" Hambling!), and how it was through art that she could 'get closer to the man in the street'. This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Maggi is not just a brilliant artist but a hilarious person who tells tales from her fascinating career, all whilst smoking at least nine or so cigarettes over the course of our interview – listen out for the lighters! WORKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE Dorothy Hodgkin, 1985 https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw07497/Dorothy-Hodgkin Max Wall, 1981 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hambling-max-wall-and-his-image-t03542 Stephen Fry, 1993 https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw09544/Stephen-Fry Father, Late December, 1997 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hambling-father-late-december-1997-t07835 Film of Maggi by Tate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4-4Syn1pmE Further reading on her seascapes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4px9CyGCzjPWBYKFn8BgmXC/stormy-waters-maggi-hambling-returns-to-the-national Thank you for listening!! This episode is sponsored by the National Art Pass/ @artfund: https://bit.ly/32HJVDk To receive a free tote bag with your National Art Pass, enter the code GREAT at checkout! Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Recorded by Joel Price Sound editing by @_ellieclifford Artwork by @thisisaliceskinner Music by Ben Wetherfield https://www.thegreatwomenartists.com/

Transcript

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0:00.0	As you can probably tell, visiting galleries and museums is one of my absolute favourite activities,
0:06.0	and our new sponsor, The National Art Pass, makes that a whole lot easier, smoother and cheaper for us art lovers and gallery goers.
0:14.0	Not only does the National Art Pass grant you free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK such as Kensington Palace,
0:23.4	Cardiff Castle and the Hornemann Museum. It also gives 50% off major exhibitions at places such as
0:29.7	the British Museum, Tate, VNA, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, and so many more.
0:35.8	And we all know that they have some pretty good upcoming and
0:38.6	current exhibitions, from Dora Marr at the Tate Modern to Elizabeth Payton at the National Portrait
0:43.3	Gallery. Membership is just £70 for an entire year and for those under 30, it's a mere £45.
0:50.1	And for lucky great women artists listeners, you can also receive an exclusive tote bag designed
0:54.8	by Malika Fave when you buy a National Art Pass by entering the code, great, at checkout.
1:00.4	Thanks to our sponsor, the National Art Pass for making this podcast possible.
1:09.0	Hello everyone and welcome to the Great Woman Artists podcast with me, Katie Hessel.
1:14.7	Some of you might know me from The Great Women Artists, an Instagram account I set up in October
1:19.1	2015, which celebrates female artists on a daily basis, ranging from young graduates to old
1:25.2	masters. Well, in a similar fashion to the Instagram,
1:29.2	this podcast is all about celebrating female artists from a variety of backgrounds and histories.
1:34.9	And I am so excited to be interviewing artists on their career or artists, writers, curators,
1:40.4	or general art lovers on the women artist who means most of them. What I want this podcast
1:45.7	to do is celebrate female artists in all different capacities so you, the listener, can gain a look
1:51.7	into the greatest female artists working now or from art history. I am very excited to say that today we are recording in the South London studio of the monumental painter, brilliant sculptor, national treasure and all-round art sensation, Maggie Hambling.
2:14.7	Known for her expressive portraits, a blind depictions of landscapes and seascapes,
2:19.4	smaller and public sculptures, Maggie is always one to give her viewer an immediate reaction of sorts,
	...

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