DYRING, MOYA (1909-1967)

"Boats Of Concarneau" (1952) 
mixed media
31 x 43cm
signed lower right
*private collection, Sydney
 
Dyring is an underappreciated Australian Modernist. She studied at the National Gallery School in Melbourne (1929-32), where she met her future husband Sam Atyeo. Dyring also studied under George Bell & Rah Fizelle & became close to Sunday & John Reed at Heide. She was one of the earliest members of the Heide Circle. Dyring travelled widely – Panama, New York, Paris, South Africa, back to Australia then onto Dominica where she married Atyeo. From 1948, Dyring was based in an apartment on the Ile St Louis, which gained the nickname of Chez Moya due to the hospitality offered to visiting Australians. It was here she became close with another young painter, Margaret Olley. With artist friends they often set off on short excursions throughout France, Italy or Spain to draw & paint en plein air. During 1950-60 Dyring travelled back to Australia every few years with crates full of her 'Paintings from Paris' for exhibitions in most capital cities. Dyring continued to exhibit her work in Europe & Australia & in 1961 she curated the Australia section of the Paris Biennale. Tragically she died of cancer at only 58. After her death, an apartment for visiting Australian artists was established in her memory at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris. Often overlooked for her expat counterparts, the only major galleries to hold quality examples of her work are the AGNSW & Heide MOMA.