Rebellious streaks
Jacqueline Fahey’s rebellious spirit showed itself early. Now 92 and exhibiting new paintings, the acclaimed artist and writer still remembers being “expelled” from Timaru Girls’ High School kindergarten when she was just four years old. It might have been because of an incident involving throwing the shoes and socks of older pupils into a swimming pool; that was surely compounded by her steadfast refusal to tuck her singlet into her underpants the way head teacher Miss Barr thought girls ought to.
Some 87 years on, we’re still policing how girls dress, while Jacqueline continues to defy convention. When we meet at her home in Auckland’s Grey Lynn, she’s wearing her trademark red lipstick and is trying to secure a pair of stunning earrings – a series of small petals in pyramid formation – one of which refuses to stay in her ear. She’s dressed in a black sweater embellished with large white pearls, a black satin skirt, embossed tights and sensible – albeit fashionable – shoes.
“We’re not doing the photos today,” I mumble, hoping she hasn’t taken extra time and trouble to ready herself for a shoot. “I know,” she replies, “I’m just dressed normally!”
How I wish
