Joash Woodrow
Encyclopedia
Joash Woodrow was a reclusive
English
artist.
Woodrow was born in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, of Polish
-Jewish parents, and was one of eight siblings. He studied at Leeds College of Art, and from 1950 - 1953 the Royal College of Art
, where his contemporaries included Peter Blake
and Frank Auerbach
.
Shortly after graduating, Woodrow suffered from a nervous breakdown
. He returned to his parents home in Chapel Allerton
, where he would remain for much of his life. From this time onwards, and virtually unknown to the wider art establishment, he painted prolifically; over seven hundred paintings, including numerous large works and thousands of drawings and sketches were discovered in his studio and filling his house when in 2001 he became too ill to cope living on his own. His personal style and subject matter (suburban landscape paintings in Leeds) developed in the 1970s and 80s.
Woodrow occasionally worked on unusual materials - some oil paintings were produced on improvised canvasses of hessian from coal
sacks, or cardboard boxes.
The first exhibition of his work was held at Harrogate
in 2001, followed by retrospectives in Leeds
, Manchester
and the Royal College of Art
in October 2005. His story has attracted press interest, and was covered in The Times
and Spectator
magazine as well as the Yorkshire Post and Whitby Gazette. In October 2009 thirty of his paintings were shown at The Fine Art Gallery, London.
Woodrow died in a Manchester hospital in February 2006.
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
English
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.
Woodrow was born in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-Jewish parents, and was one of eight siblings. He studied at Leeds College of Art, and from 1950 - 1953 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...
, where his contemporaries included Peter Blake
Peter Blake (artist)
Sir Peter Thomas Blake, KBE, CBE, RDI, RA is an English pop artist, best known for his design of the sleeve for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He lives in Chiswick, London, UK.-Career:...
and Frank Auerbach
Frank Auerbach
Frank Helmut Auerbach is a painter born in Germany although he has been a naturalised British citizen since 1947.-Biography:Auerbach was born in Berlin, the son of Max Auerbach, a patent lawyer, and Charlotte Nora Burchardt, who had trained as an artist...
.
Shortly after graduating, Woodrow suffered from a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
. He returned to his parents home in Chapel Allerton
Chapel Allerton
Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of north-east Leeds, from the city centre, West Yorkshire, England. The Chapel Allerton electoral ward includes areas otherwise referred to as Chapeltown and Potternewton - the suburb is generally considered to be only the northern part of this...
, where he would remain for much of his life. From this time onwards, and virtually unknown to the wider art establishment, he painted prolifically; over seven hundred paintings, including numerous large works and thousands of drawings and sketches were discovered in his studio and filling his house when in 2001 he became too ill to cope living on his own. His personal style and subject matter (suburban landscape paintings in Leeds) developed in the 1970s and 80s.
Woodrow occasionally worked on unusual materials - some oil paintings were produced on improvised canvasses of hessian from coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
sacks, or cardboard boxes.
The first exhibition of his work was held at Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
in 2001, followed by retrospectives in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and 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 October 2005. His story has attracted press interest, and was covered in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
magazine as well as the Yorkshire Post and Whitby Gazette. In October 2009 thirty of his paintings were shown at The Fine Art Gallery, London.
Woodrow died in a Manchester hospital in February 2006.