Sybil Atteck (1911-1975)
Burlington, Ontario
Sybil Atteck Biography Project - by Keith Atteck
Message
Sybil Atteck BFA CMG (1911-1975) is a national and historical person of significance in Trinidad and Tobago, and the inspiration for the founding of the Trinidad and Tobago Art Society. She was the most influential pioneer and leader in the development of Fine Arts in the preceding, during, and post-Independence periods (1940-1975).
As a pioneering artist she achieved many firsts for herself and her nation. The first to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1948. The first professional artist of her nation by 1948. The first to hold a solo exhibition in her nation in 1948, in fact a tour and trio of exhibitions. The first to hold a solo international exhibition in 1959, in fact a tour and trio on three continents. The first to exhibit in England at the Royal Society of British Artists in 1953, and the first to be exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art in 1955. Atteck has been celebrated among the Great Women Painters in the 2022 publication by Phaidon Press, as one of over 300+ painters from more than 60+ countries, spanning 5 centuries. Sybil Atteck is the first Trinbagonian painter to be recognized internationally as a ‘Great Painter’ and was one of only three from the entire Caribbean region to be included in this major publication. In this publication Atteck stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Frida Kahlo of Mexico, Georgette Chen of Singapore, Emily Carr of Canada, Carmen Herrera of Cuba, and Hilma Af Klint of Sweden, to name a few.
Atteck has been continually recognized both nationally and internationally, as Trinidad and Tobago's leading modern artist, leading female artist, the inspiration of the modern art movement in the British Caribbean region, and as the first ‘National Grand Master of Art’ from the 1950’s to the early 70’s in Trinidad and Tobago. She firmly established, secured, and influenced the fine arts capabilities of her nation pre-, during, and post-independence. For her lifetime of accomplishment and leadership, Atteck received her nation’s award, the Chaconia Medal (Gold) in 1973, celebrating her eminent contribution to the advancement of Fine Arts in Trinidad and Tobago. In the years after her death in 1975, Atteck’s legacy and art have endured. Her artworks have continually been featured on Trinidad and Tobago’s postage stamps, at national events, and included in local and international art exhibitions.
Keith Atteck, a nephew of the artist, is undertaking the research to capture and preserve Sybil Atteck’s legacy.
Statement
The Sybil Atteck Biography Project was initiated in 2018 to document her life and artistic legacy.
This project has four phases:
- Find and document the life and accomplishments of the artist to prepare a detailed biographic manuscript. (substantially complete but more keeps showing up)
- Find and document the artworks of Atteck that are in private collections around the world. (over 745 artworks found to-date and the search continues)
- Develop a comprehensive Catalogue Raisonné as a basis for publication. (Underway within the Artwork Archive database)
- Publish one or more books and articles about Atteck and her artworks. (looking for publishers, journals, and exhibition opportunities)
A Private Room can be created to showcase artworks from the privately held database of high resolution images to demonstrate the works that can be exhibited or included in publications and articles. Message me to initiate a discussion on what you are interested in viewing.
This website for the Sybil Atteck Biography Project has four objectives:
- Collecting all documentation pertaining to Sybil Atteck’s life and work.
- Searching for her artworks in public, institutional, and private collections.
- Collecting high quality images of Sybil Atteck’s artworks, provenance, and their details, for this catalogue.
- Gathering personal memories and stories about Sybil Atteck from those who knew her as a teacher, community leader and as a friend.
The Portfolio of artworks shown publicly at this time are those that still need to be found and photographed. It is important to locate the owners of the original art so that high resolution images and the provenance for each can be added to the archive. Some images are from black and white pictures, some are from slides that have lost colour, and others are from websites or other sources found in a low resolution. They are sorted from most recent creation date to the earliest. However, there are many artworks that have yet to be discovered that must be assessed, attributed, and have their provenance documented.
Artworks presented on this site are attributed to Sybil Atteck by the Sybil Atteck Estate based on historical documentation. However, these works have yet to be verified through physical examination by the Sybil Atteck Estate. If you are currently in possession of one of these works, or other artworks, we invite you to submit your work for consideration to the Sybil Atteck Estate by Message feature on this site.
The Portfolio of displayed work are NOT FOR SALE! They have been placed here to assist in finding the artworks, and in locating other Atteck pieces.
Atteck produced a large body of works that sold throughout the decades of her artistic career, which have not yet been found. There are numerous other artworks that are mentioned in art catalogues, and currently there are no images of these works. If you believe you have an piece by Atteck and would like to have it reviewed for contribution to the digital catalogue, please contact us by sending a Message on this site. All Messages from this site are private and confidential.
Additionally, if you have a personal memory or stories about Atteck, you can also share them for the project by sending a Message on this site.
Go to the Portfolio text on the left margin and select it to view the sample artworks that have yet to be found and documented. There are many more that have yet to be found that are listed in art catalogues, and more unknown artworks to be located.
Thus far the Sybil Atteck Biography Project is receiving submissions of new artworks from owners from around the world on average one per month. If you have an artwork please contact me to engage in the effort to document the provenance and details of your artwork. Your information will be kept confidential.
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The Sybil Atteck Biography Project has been a resource for PhD and master’s thesis students and Art History curatorial projects in the past few years. Several students have contacted me to discuss and support their university and post graduate work. If you are interested in leveraging my research you can Message me from this site. Additionally, art curators art researchers have reached out to include Sybil Atteck's and her artworks in their research, project planning, and resulting exhibitions. You can see the results of this in the News section of this website.