Anthony Hill
Encyclopedia
Anthony Hill is an English
artist
, painter
and relief-maker, originally a member of the post-World War II
British art movement termed the Constructionist Group whose work was essentially in the international constructivist tradition. His fellow members in this group were Victor Pasmore
, Adrian Heath
, John Ernest
, Kenneth Martin
, Mary Martin
, Gillian Wise (artist)
and Stephen Gilbert
. He was born on 23 April 1930 in London, and studied at the St Martin's and the Central Schools of Art 1948–51. He began painting in the style of Dada
and Surrealism
in 1948 but quickly moved on to geometric abstract idioms. He made his first relief in 1954 and abandoned painting for relief-making in 1956. One feature of these reliefs has been the use of non-traditional materials such as industrial aluminium and Perspex. His first one-man show of reliefs was held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in 1958. He has participated in exhibitions of abstract and constructivist art in the UK, Paris, Germany, Holland, Poland, Switzerland and the USA. In 1978 he exhibited in the Arts Council's exhibition, Constructive Context, alongside a number if artists such as Jeffrey Steele and Peter Lowe who had begun working in a systematised constructive mode in the mid to late 1960s and came together in the Systems Group in December 1969. Hill, however, along with the Martins, declined membership of this group. In 1983 the Hayward Gallery
held a major retrospective exhibition of Anthony Hill's constructivist work.
Anthony Hill has had a lifelong fascination with mathematics, and there are many mathematicians among his circle of acquaintances. Together with his colleague John Ernest
he made contributions to graph theory (crossing number
) and in 1979, in recognition of a number of his mathematical papers, he was elected a member of the London Mathematical Society and made a visiting research associate in the Department of Mathematics at University College, London. But although almost all his reliefs have an underlying mathematical structure or logic, he was always insistent that in his art, in his own words, "the mathematical thematic or mathematical process can only be a component: one is calculating or organising something which is clearly not mathematical." From the late 1980s onward, working in parallel with his systems-based work but in a very different mode, Anthony Hill exhibited dadaist pictures and collages under the pseudonym Achill Redo. The Tate Gallery
, London has collections under both of the names Anthony Hill and Achill Redo.
An excellent summary of the life and constructivist work of Anthony Hill, together with that of the other British constructivists, is given in Alastair Grieve's authoritative book of 2005.
:
and for Achill Redo:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and relief-maker, originally a member of the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British art movement termed the Constructionist Group whose work was essentially in the international constructivist tradition. His fellow members in this group were Victor Pasmore
Victor Pasmore
Edwin John Victor Pasmore was a British artist and architect. He pioneered the development of abstract art in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s.-Biography:...
, Adrian Heath
Adrian Heath
Adrian Paul Heath is an English football manager and former player. He manages American USL Pro Orlando franchise. As a player he is remembered as part of the Everton side of the 1980s, where he won several trophies...
, John Ernest
John Ernest
John Ernest was an American-born constructivist abstract artist. He was born in Philadelphia, USA, in 1922. After living and working in Sweden and Paris from 1946 to 1951, he moved to London England where he lived and worked from 1951...
, Kenneth Martin
Kenneth Martin
Kenneth Martin was an English painter and sculptor who along with his wife Mary Martin and Victor Pasmore was a leading figure in the revival of Constructivism in Britain and America in the 1940s....
, Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, Gillian Wise (artist)
Gillian Wise (artist)
Gillian Wise Gillian Wise Gillian Wise (born 1936, London is an English artist. She has devoted her long career to the application of concepts of rationality and aesthetic order to abstract paintings and reliefs...
and Stephen Gilbert
Stephen Gilbert
Stephen Gilbert was a British painter and sculptor. He was one of the few British artists to fully embrace the avante garde movement in Paris in the 1950s.-Early years:...
. He was born on 23 April 1930 in London, and studied at the St Martin's and the Central Schools of Art 1948–51. He began painting in the style of Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
and Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
in 1948 but quickly moved on to geometric abstract idioms. He made his first relief in 1954 and abandoned painting for relief-making in 1956. One feature of these reliefs has been the use of non-traditional materials such as industrial aluminium and Perspex. His first one-man show of reliefs was held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in 1958. He has participated in exhibitions of abstract and constructivist art in the UK, Paris, Germany, Holland, Poland, Switzerland and the USA. In 1978 he exhibited in the Arts Council's exhibition, Constructive Context, alongside a number if artists such as Jeffrey Steele and Peter Lowe who had begun working in a systematised constructive mode in the mid to late 1960s and came together in the Systems Group in December 1969. Hill, however, along with the Martins, declined membership of this group. In 1983 the Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
held a major retrospective exhibition of Anthony Hill's constructivist work.
Anthony Hill has had a lifelong fascination with mathematics, and there are many mathematicians among his circle of acquaintances. Together with his colleague John Ernest
John Ernest
John Ernest was an American-born constructivist abstract artist. He was born in Philadelphia, USA, in 1922. After living and working in Sweden and Paris from 1946 to 1951, he moved to London England where he lived and worked from 1951...
he made contributions to graph theory (crossing number
Crossing number (graph theory)
In graph theory, the crossing number cr of a graph G is the lowest number of edge crossings of a planar drawing of the graph G. For instance, a graph is planar if and only if its crossing number is zero.The concept originated in...
) and in 1979, in recognition of a number of his mathematical papers, he was elected a member of the London Mathematical Society and made a visiting research associate in the Department of Mathematics at University College, London. But although almost all his reliefs have an underlying mathematical structure or logic, he was always insistent that in his art, in his own words, "the mathematical thematic or mathematical process can only be a component: one is calculating or organising something which is clearly not mathematical." From the late 1980s onward, working in parallel with his systems-based work but in a very different mode, Anthony Hill exhibited dadaist pictures and collages under the pseudonym Achill Redo. The Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, London has collections under both of the names Anthony Hill and Achill Redo.
An excellent summary of the life and constructivist work of Anthony Hill, together with that of the other British constructivists, is given in Alastair Grieve's authoritative book of 2005.
External links
The Tate Gallery, London holds 11 of Hill's works. See their online listing for Anthony HillAnthony Hill
Anthony Hill is an English artist, painter and relief-maker, originally a member of the post-World War II British art movement termed the Constructionist Group whose work was essentially in the international constructivist tradition. His fellow members in this group were Victor Pasmore, Adrian...
:
- http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=1284&page=1
and for Achill Redo:
- http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/WorksList?searchid=25977&page=1