David Tremlett
Encyclopedia
David Tremlett is a Cornish
sculptor
, installation art
ist and photographer
. He currently lives and works in Bovingdon
, Hertfordshire
, Great Britain.
, near St Austell
, Cornwall
where he grew up on his parents' farm. He attended Falmouth College of Art from 1962 to 1963, before studying sculpture at Birmingham School of Art
from 1963 until 1966 and then at the Royal College of Art
in London
. He travelled from the early 1970s in North America
and Australia
and from 1978 to 1987 in the Middle East
and Africa
.
His first solo exhibition was with Nigel Greenwood Gallery
in London in the early seventies, where he rose to prominence alongside artists such as Richard Long
and Gilbert and George
. Tremlett was already making wall drawings at that time — his first was in 1969. Since the 1980s, his primary media has been pastel, of which he says: "It is a fragile, delicate powder, so light that you can blow it away, but at the same time you can make something strong, demanding, and structurally tough." Like his material, Tremlett's wall drawings vary between fleeting and enduring. Despite the time and attention required by all of his site-specific works, Tremlett does not limit himself to locations that will ensure permanence. Indeed, many of his wall drawings exist for only a short period of time before they are weathered by natural elements or painted over in preparation for the next gallery show.
Though the drawings themselves may disappear, the experience of creating them is a lasting one for the artist. Forms found in the architecture of a space or in the play of light on a wall may be echoed in the geometric compositions of future drawings. Tremlett's palette has also been influenced over the years by his travel to execute site-specific works in places such as Malawi, India, Italy and Texas. The drawings bring beauty to the chosen locations, and in turn, the locations contribute to the beauty of Tremlett's drawings.
In 1992 he was shortlisted for the Turner Prize
"for his many wall drawings displayed around the world, most notably at the Kestner-Gesellschaft in Hanover."
Since the late 1970s he has been creating wall drawings notably at the British Embassy in Berlin (his largest to date 16 x 46 meters), the British Council Building in Nairobi and the Capella Delle Brunate at La Morra, Barolo with his friend Sol LeWitt
. His stained glass windows for the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Villenauxe-la-Grande
in France were completed in 2006.
Tremlett has exhibited internationally in private galleries and major museums with 10 catalogues and several artist books to his credit. His extensive exhibition history includes solo exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris, the Stedelijk Museum
in Amsterdam, Musee des Beaux Arts, Grenoble
, Pecci Museum, Prato
, Italy and the Museum of Modern Art
in New York.
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
ist and photographer
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. He currently lives and works in Bovingdon
Bovingdon
Bovingdon is a large village in the Chiltern Hills, in Hertfordshire, England, four miles south-west of Hemel Hempstead and it is a civil parish within the local authority area of Dacorum...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, Great Britain.
Biography
Tremlett was born in StickerSticker, Cornwall
Sticker is a former mining village in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It lies in the parish of St Mewan. The nearest town is St Austell three miles to the north-east.-Great Hewas Mine:...
, near St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
where he grew up on his parents' farm. He attended Falmouth College of Art from 1962 to 1963, before studying sculpture at Birmingham School of Art
Birmingham School of Art
The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, its Grade I listed building on...
from 1963 until 1966 and then at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He travelled from the early 1970s in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and from 1978 to 1987 in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
His first solo exhibition was with Nigel Greenwood Gallery
Nigel Greenwood (art dealer)
Nigel Palin Greenwood was an erudite and independent-minded art dealer.-Early career:Nigel Greenwood was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and at the Courtauld Institute . He started his career in the art world at the Axiom Gallery in London...
in London in the early seventies, where he rose to prominence alongside artists such as Richard Long
Richard Long (artist)
Richard Long is an English sculptor, photographer and painter, one of the best known British land artists. Long is the only artist to be shortlisted for the Turner Prize four times, and he is reputed to have refused the prize in 1984...
and Gilbert and George
Gilbert and George
Gilbert & George are two artists who work together as a collaborative duo. Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore have become famous for their distinctive, highly formal appearance and manner and their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks.-Early life:Gilbert Proesch was...
. Tremlett was already making wall drawings at that time — his first was in 1969. Since the 1980s, his primary media has been pastel, of which he says: "It is a fragile, delicate powder, so light that you can blow it away, but at the same time you can make something strong, demanding, and structurally tough." Like his material, Tremlett's wall drawings vary between fleeting and enduring. Despite the time and attention required by all of his site-specific works, Tremlett does not limit himself to locations that will ensure permanence. Indeed, many of his wall drawings exist for only a short period of time before they are weathered by natural elements or painted over in preparation for the next gallery show.
Though the drawings themselves may disappear, the experience of creating them is a lasting one for the artist. Forms found in the architecture of a space or in the play of light on a wall may be echoed in the geometric compositions of future drawings. Tremlett's palette has also been influenced over the years by his travel to execute site-specific works in places such as Malawi, India, Italy and Texas. The drawings bring beauty to the chosen locations, and in turn, the locations contribute to the beauty of Tremlett's drawings.
In 1992 he was shortlisted for the Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
"for his many wall drawings displayed around the world, most notably at the Kestner-Gesellschaft in Hanover."
Since the late 1970s he has been creating wall drawings notably at the British Embassy in Berlin (his largest to date 16 x 46 meters), the British Council Building in Nairobi and the Capella Delle Brunate at La Morra, Barolo with his friend Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt
Solomon "Sol" LeWitt was an American artist linked to various movements, including Conceptual art and Minimalism....
. His stained glass windows for the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Villenauxe-la-Grande
Villenauxe-la-Grande
Villenauxe-la-Grande is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.-Population:-References:*...
in France were completed in 2006.
Tremlett has exhibited internationally in private galleries and major museums with 10 catalogues and several artist books to his credit. His extensive exhibition history includes solo exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris, the Stedelijk Museum
Stedelijk Museum
Founded in 1874, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is a museum for classic modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It has been housed on the Paulus Potterstraat, next to Museum Square Museumplein and to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw, in Amsterdam Zuid...
in Amsterdam, Musee des Beaux Arts, Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, Pecci Museum, Prato
Prato
Prato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
, Italy and the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York.