Muriel Joyce Bidder (5 January 1906–26 February 1999) was an English sculptor. Over a long career, she created works in a variety of materials.

Biography

Bidder was born at Wimbledon in south-west London and studied at the Wimbledon School of Art, where she was taught by the sculptor Stanley Nicholson Babb. In 1933 she met Daisy Borne, whom she taught to carve. The two set up a studio together at Wimbledon and became life-long companions. Bidder worked in a variety of materials, including bronze, green slate, marble, terracotta, stone and wood to produce statuettes, group figures and reliefs. She often worked in woods such as walnut, Spanish chestnut, oak and mahogany. Her subjects included sporting events, such as the sculpture group ''Tackled'', and depictions of labourers at work. Bidder regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy in London between 1931 and 1957, and between 1933 and 1971 showed a total of 65 pieces with the

Society of Women Artists The Society of Women Artists (SWA) is a British art body dedicated to celebrating and promoting fine art created by women. It was founded as the Society of Female Artists (SFA) in about 1855, offering women artists the opportunity to exhibit and ...

. She was elected an Associate of the

in 1949 and became a full member two years later. She was also a Fellow of the

Royal Society of British Sculptors The Royal Society of Sculptors is a British charity established in 1905 which promotes excellence in the art and practice of sculpture. Its headquarters are a centre for contemporary sculpture on Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London. It ...

. Examples of her work appeared in the 1986 exhibition ''Sculpture in Britain Between the Wars'', organised by the

Fine Art Society The Fine Art Society is a gallery based in both London and in Edinburgh's New Town (originally Bourne Fine Art, established 1978). The New Bond Street, London gallery closed its doors in August 2018 after being occupied by The Fine Art Society si ...

, which hosted a joint exhibition of work by her and Borne in 1987.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bidder, Joyce 1906 births 1999 deaths 20th-century English sculptors 20th-century English women artists Alumni of Wimbledon College of Arts English women sculptors People from Wimbledon, London Sculptors from London