Margaret West was born in 1936 in Melbourne, her formal studies include art, music and philosophy. In 1979 she moved to Sydney, where she taught art theory and practice at Sydney University College of the Arts from 1979 to 1999. She travelled, exhibited, and lectured extensively in Australia and overseas and her work is represented in major public national and international art collections. Her essays, and poetry are published in anthologies, journals and catalogues. She has also (self)published several artist’s books which develop a dialogue between text and image. Her work is broadly informed by interests which range through art, literature, music, philosophy, science and technology. The metaphoric potential of the everyday world and concern about political issues provide grist to her mill. Since 2000 Margaret West lived in Blackheath in the Upper Blue Mountains of New South Wales, where she worked full time as an artist and writer until her death in 2015.