Margaret Ambridge (b. 1966)
Margaret Ambridge is an Adelaide-based artist. Her major themes revolve around her intensely personal reactions to how we deal with boundaries and adversity. In particular the boundaries that define social transgression. Not the large flamboyant transgressions, but small ones that begin as politeness, or apology. And solidify into lies and taboos, the things that become social and cultural rigidities. That go on to inform and mould identity, whether we are aware of it or not.
Born in Adelaide, South Australia Ambridge’s love of mark making began sitting at the kitchen table with her mother who was a well respected artist and teacher.
Working primarily with charcoal Ambridge has been a finalist in many major Australian Art prizes including the Dobel Drawing Prize, Blake Prize, Waterhouse and the Kedumba Drawing Award. Her work is held in public and private national and private international collections.
Ambridge’s latest exhibition Becoming invisible? (SALA, 2022)
Becoming invisible? asks women, with up to 102 years of life experience, to consider how they navigate their mortality, and the ‘gendered shame’ western culture attaches to ageing.
Are we more fearful of looking old than getting old?
Becoming invisible? acknowledges the capacity, relevance, and lifelong beauty of women who, as participants, have lent their voices, their wisdom, and their humour to this project.
Using dressmaking, casting, video and powerful charcoal portraits focused on the neck, an evocative signifier of temporal age, Ambridge weaves the voices of her collaborators into a powerful statement of defiance and determination.
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