Miles Richmond
Encyclopedia
Miles Peter Richmond was a British
artist.
Born Peter Richmond, in Isleworth
, Middlesex
, he added the name Miles in the 1980s, and became generally known as such. From 1940 to 1943 he attended Kingston School of Art, and then, as a conscientious objector
worked on the land. This caused a rift with his father, an Admiralty
engineer, and was thought by his intimates to account, at least in part, for the palpable emotional depth and passion of his paintings.
In 1946, he began training at the Borough Polytechnic in Southwark
(now London South Bank University
), under David Bomberg
, and in the same year he became a founder member of the influential Borough Group
of artists. Fellow members included the Group's founding president, Cliff Holden
, Dorothy Mead
and Dennis Creffield
. In 1952, he and his first wife, Eleanor (later Susanna) Richmond moved to Aix-en-Provence
, France
, and in 1954 to Ronda
, Andalusia
, Spain
, where he lived and worked for over twenty years. At various times he taught art at Portsmouth Polytechnic and Morley College
in London
, where his students included Tatiana Litvinov
, daughter of Joseph Stalin
's one-time Foreign Minister. Other students included Nigel Caple (whom Richmond met at Portsmouth Polytechnic, and where Richmond came into severe conflict with marxists who were then dominant in the art department) and Rosie Skaife d'Ingerthorpe, who had graduated from Goldsmiths College.
He moved back to Britain
in 1979, later taking up residence in North Yorkshire
, where he painted, exhibited and taught. Students came to train with him on study leave, especially from St Albans
College of Art, later part of Hertfordshire University. In 1994, he moved to Middlesbrough
with his second wife Miranda, where he painted until his death. His final exhibition of paintings opened on 7 November 2008 at the Boundary Gallery in north London
; it included a room of his early works and a room of his last paintings.
Richmond had a strong spiritual sense, regarding painting as similar to prayer, and nurtured a lifelong determination never to become what he called a "dealer's artist". A month before his death he published a letter in The Guardian
very critical of a materialistic ethos in contemporary western art, provoked by the auction at Sotheby's
of work by Damien Hirst
.
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...
artist.
Born Peter Richmond, in Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, he added the name Miles in the 1980s, and became generally known as such. From 1940 to 1943 he attended Kingston School of Art, and then, as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
worked on the land. This caused a rift with his father, an Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
engineer, and was thought by his intimates to account, at least in part, for the palpable emotional depth and passion of his paintings.
In 1946, he began training at the Borough Polytechnic in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
(now London South Bank University
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
), under David Bomberg
David Bomberg
David Garshen Bomberg was an English painter, and one of the Whitechapel Boys.Bomberg was one of the most audacious of the exceptional generation of artists who studied at the Slade School of Art under Henry Tonks, and which included Mark Gertler, Stanley Spencer, C.R.W. Nevinson and Dora Carrington...
, and in the same year he became a founder member of the influential Borough Group
Borough Group
The Borough Group was a collective of mid-20th century artists from the Borough area of Southwark, south London, England. The group was associated with the David Bomberg, who was then teaching a number of the artists that formed the group at the Borough Polytechnic, hence the name.Cliff Holden...
of artists. Fellow members included the Group's founding president, Cliff Holden
Cliff Holden
Cliff Holden FCSD is a British painter, designer, and silk-screen printer.Holden was educated at Wilmslow Modern School followed by Reaseheath School of Agriculture, where he studied agriculture and veterinary science....
, Dorothy Mead
Dorothy Mead
Dorothy Mead was a British painter.Mead was born in London, England,She first met David Bomberg when he was teaching at the Dagenham School of Art in 1945...
and Dennis Creffield
Dennis Creffield
Dennis Creffield is a British artist with work owned by major British art collections, including the Tate Gallery, Arts Council of England, the Government Art Collection, Leeds City Art Gallery, University of Leeds collection, University of Brighton collection and others.-Early life and...
. In 1952, he and his first wife, Eleanor (later Susanna) Richmond moved to Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and in 1954 to Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he lived and worked for over twenty years. At various times he taught art at Portsmouth Polytechnic and Morley College
Morley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
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...
, where his students included Tatiana Litvinov
Litvinov
Litvinov or Litvinova a Russian last name derived from the word litvin. It is shared by the following people:* Alexander Litvinov , Russian general in the Imperial Russian Army and the Red Army...
, daughter of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's one-time Foreign Minister. Other students included Nigel Caple (whom Richmond met at Portsmouth Polytechnic, and where Richmond came into severe conflict with marxists who were then dominant in the art department) and Rosie Skaife d'Ingerthorpe, who had graduated from Goldsmiths College.
He moved back to Britain
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...
in 1979, later taking up residence in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, where he painted, exhibited and taught. Students came to train with him on study leave, especially from St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
College of Art, later part of Hertfordshire University. In 1994, he moved to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
with his second wife Miranda, where he painted until his death. His final exhibition of paintings opened on 7 November 2008 at the Boundary Gallery in north 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...
; it included a room of his early works and a room of his last paintings.
Richmond had a strong spiritual sense, regarding painting as similar to prayer, and nurtured a lifelong determination never to become what he called a "dealer's artist". A month before his death he published a letter in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
very critical of a materialistic ethos in contemporary western art, provoked by the auction at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
of work by Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...
.
External links
- Laurie Stewart, Notes on the Borough Group of Artists
- Cliff Holden, The History of the Borough Group of Artists, 2004
- Michael McNay, Miles Richmond: Artist for whom imagination linked the philosopher's view with the painter's (Obituary), The Guardian, 15 October 2008
- Angus Reid, Miles Richmond, Obituary, The Scotsman, 15 October 2008
- Paul Trewhela, Miles Richmond: Painter who followed his teacher David Bomberg on an uncompromising artistic path, The Independent, 1 November 2008
- Miles Richmond's website