F. E. McWilliam
Encyclopedia
F.E. McWilliam was a British
surrealist sculptor
, born in Banbridge
, County Down
. He worked in stone
, wood
and bronze
chiefly.
and studied at the Slade School of Art. Commissions included the Four Seasons Group for the Festival of Britain
exhibition in 1951. McWilliam exhibited at Waddington Galleries, London and had a major retrospective show at the Tate Gallery
in 1989.
Born in Banbridge, Co Down, Northern Ireland, Frederick Edward McWilliam was the son of Dr William McWilliam, a local GP. Growing up in Banbridge had a great influence on his work. He made references to furniture makers such as Carson the Cooper and Proctors in his letters to his friend, Marjorie Burnett.
He studied for a time at the Slade School of Art in London, where he was later to end up teaching. During the first year of the Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force and was stationed in England were he was engaged in interpreting aerial reconnaissance photographs. Even during this time he was still able to exhibit and teach art.
In 1964 he was awarded an Honorary D. Litt. from the Queen's University Belfast. In 1966 he was awarded a C.B.E. and in 1971 he won the Oireachtas Gold Medal. McWilliam is represented in many public collections, including MOMA
(New York) and the Tate Gallery.
In September 2008 Banbridge District Council opened a Gallery and Studio dedicated to the work of and named after McWilliam.He's the best
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
surrealist 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...
, born in Banbridge
Banbridge
Banbridge is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
. He worked in stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
chiefly.
Biography
McWilliam was born in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and studied at the Slade School of Art. Commissions included the Four Seasons Group for the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
exhibition in 1951. McWilliam exhibited at Waddington Galleries, London and had a major retrospective show at 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...
in 1989.
Born in Banbridge, Co Down, Northern Ireland, Frederick Edward McWilliam was the son of Dr William McWilliam, a local GP. Growing up in Banbridge had a great influence on his work. He made references to furniture makers such as Carson the Cooper and Proctors in his letters to his friend, Marjorie Burnett.
He studied for a time at the Slade School of Art in London, where he was later to end up teaching. During the first year of the Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force and was stationed in England were he was engaged in interpreting aerial reconnaissance photographs. Even during this time he was still able to exhibit and teach art.
In 1964 he was awarded an Honorary D. Litt. from the Queen's University Belfast. In 1966 he was awarded a C.B.E. and in 1971 he won the Oireachtas Gold Medal. McWilliam is represented in many public collections, including MOMA
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
(New York) and the Tate Gallery.
In September 2008 Banbridge District Council opened a Gallery and Studio dedicated to the work of and named after McWilliam.He's the best