Stephen Gilbert
Encyclopedia
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.
, in the north-east of Fife
, Scotland
, of English parents. His father was a commander in the Royal Navy
; his grandfather, Sir Alfred Gilbert
was the Art Nouveau
sculptor of The Angel of Christian Charity in Piccadilly Circus
.
. Gilbert won the Slade Scholarship at the end of his first year, and the principal Sir Henry Tonks
encouraged him to start painting from 1930. He also met sculptor Jocelyn Chewett at the Slade, and they were married in 1935.
in 1936, and put on an early solo show in London, at the Wertheim Gallery in 1938. He moved to Paris
in 1937, where his wife studied under Ossip Zadkine
, leaving before the Second World War
. He failed a medical for military service, and he spent the war in Ireland
near Dublin with his wife and son, Humphrey. He joined The White Stag group
of refugee artists. His work was inspired by Masson
, and by reading Jung
, Nietzsche and Jakob Böhme
, with fantastic creatures and plants painted in vivid colours.
He returned to Paris in 1946, after the birth of his daughter Frances. He exhibited at the Salon des Surindépendents in Paris in 1948, attracting the attention of Danish artist Asger Jorn
, and leading to his membership of the CoBrA
avant-garde
art group. He was one of only two British member, the other being William Gear
. He was included in the first issue of the group's journal and participated in both major exhibitions: the Bregnerød congress in August 1949, where he worked on the collective mural, and the Amsterdam
exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum
in November of that year, where he worked with Constant Nieuwenhuys
. A French art critic described him as "le plus français des sculpteurs anglais et l'un des plus européens parmi les artistes" ("the most French of British sculptors and the most European of artists").
He also visited Svanberg in Sweden
. After his contact with CoBrA, his approach to painting became more abstract, but he remained in contact with Pierre Alechinsky
after CoBrA dissolved. He exhibited several times at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
.
During the 1950s, he concentrated on three-dimensional and architectural forms, formed from sheets of aluminium
. He joined André Bloc
's Groupe Espace in 1954, exhibiting at the Salon de la Jeune Sculpture. He was also a founder of the Néovision group, and worked with experimental architect Peter Stead
. He moved on to more curvilinear forms, exhibited at the Drian Galleries in London in 1961, and completed two public commissions in London. He received a Gulbenkian award
in 1962, and the sculpture prize at the Tokyo Biennale in 1965.
His wife died in 1979, and his sculpture moved on from open forms to more enclosed structures. He returned to painting in the 1980s. Examples of his work are held by many public collections.
He died in Frome
, Somerset
and was survived by his son and daughter.
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...
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 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...
. He was one of the few British artists to fully embrace the avante garde movement in Paris in the 1950s.
Early years
Gilbert was born in WormitWormit
Wormit is a small town located on the banks of the Firth of Tay in north east Fife, Scotland. It is most famous for its location at the southern end of the Tay Rail Bridge. Its railway station was on a closed branch line which left the main line railway immediately at the south end of the Bridge...
, in the north-east of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, of English parents. His father was a commander in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; his grandfather, Sir Alfred Gilbert
Alfred Gilbert
Sir Alfred Gilbert was an English sculptor and goldsmith who enthusiastically experimented with metallurgical innovations...
was the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
sculptor of The Angel of Christian Charity in Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
.
Education
He studied architecture at the Slade School of Art in London from 1929 to 1932, where he befriended fellow student Roger HiltonRoger Hilton
Roger Hilton CBE was a pioneer of abstract art in post-war Britain. He was born in 1911 in Northwood, London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London under Henry Tonks and also in Paris, where he developed links with painters on the Continent.In World War II he served in the Army, part...
. Gilbert won the Slade Scholarship at the end of his first year, and the principal Sir Henry Tonks
Henry Tonks
Henry Tonks, FRCS was a British draughtsman and painter of figure subjects, chiefly interiors, and a caricaturist...
encouraged him to start painting from 1930. He also met sculptor Jocelyn Chewett at the Slade, and they were married in 1935.
Career
He exhibited at the Royal AcademyRoyal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1936, and put on an early solo show in London, at the Wertheim Gallery in 1938. He moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1937, where his wife studied under Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine was a Belarusian-born artist who lived in France. He is primarily known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs.-Early years and career:...
, leaving before the Second World War
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...
. He failed a medical for military service, and he spent the war in Ireland
Ireland
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...
near Dublin with his wife and son, Humphrey. He joined The White Stag group
The White Stag group
The White Stag Group was a group of artists centred around the painters Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall.Founded in London in 1935, the group moved to Ireland in 1939 and stayed until after the Second World War...
of refugee artists. His work was inspired by Masson
Masson
'Masson' may refer to:In places:* Masson , a Quebec provincial electoral districtPeople with the surname Masson:*Masson In businesses:*Paul Masson Mountain Winery-See also:...
, and by reading Jung
Jung
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, an influential thinker and the founder of analytical psychology.Jung may also refer to:* Jung * JUNG, Java Universal Network/Graph Framework-See also:...
, Nietzsche and Jakob Böhme
Jakob Böhme
Jakob Böhme was a German Christian mystic and theologian. He is considered an original thinker within the Lutheran tradition...
, with fantastic creatures and plants painted in vivid colours.
He returned to Paris in 1946, after the birth of his daughter Frances. He exhibited at the Salon des Surindépendents in Paris in 1948, attracting the attention of Danish artist Asger Jorn
Asger Jorn
Asger Oluf Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International...
, and leading to his membership of the CoBrA
COBRA (avant-garde movement)
COBRA was a European avant-garde movement active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home cities: Copenhagen , Brussels , Amsterdam .-History:...
avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
art group. He was one of only two British member, the other being William Gear
William Gear
William Gear was a painter, born on 2 August 1915 in Methil in the south-east of Fife, Scotland. Born into a mining family, he studied at Edinburgh College of Art before travelling to Paris to study with Fernand Léger....
. He was included in the first issue of the group's journal and participated in both major exhibitions: the Bregnerød congress in August 1949, where he worked on the collective mural, and the Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
exhibition at 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 November of that year, where he worked with Constant Nieuwenhuys
Constant Nieuwenhuys
Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys was a Dutch painter, and one of the foremost innovators of Unitary Urbanism. In 1941, he became deeply interested in the work of Paul Cézanne, Cubism and German Expressionism....
. A French art critic described him as "le plus français des sculpteurs anglais et l'un des plus européens parmi les artistes" ("the most French of British sculptors and the most European of artists").
He also visited Svanberg in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. After his contact with CoBrA, his approach to painting became more abstract, but he remained in contact with Pierre Alechinsky
Pierre Alechinsky
Pierre Alechinsky is a Belgian artist. He has lived and worked in France since 1951. His work is related to Tachisme, Abstract expressionism, and Lyrical Abstraction.Alechinsky was born in Brussels...
after CoBrA dissolved. He exhibited several times at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
The Salon des Réalités Nouvelles is an association of artists and an art exhibition in Paris, focusing on abstract art.A first exhibition with the name was held in 1939 in Galerie Charpentier, organised by Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay, Nelly van Doesburg and Fredo Sidès.In 1946 the Salon was...
.
During the 1950s, he concentrated on three-dimensional and architectural forms, formed from sheets of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
. He joined André Bloc
André Bloc
André Bloc was a French architect, sculptor, editor, and founder of several specialist journals. He founded the "Groupe Espace" in 1949....
's Groupe Espace in 1954, exhibiting at the Salon de la Jeune Sculpture. He was also a founder of the Néovision group, and worked with experimental architect Peter Stead
Peter Stead
Peter Stead is a former Canadian cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He played three first-class matches for Canada on their 1954 tour of England, in which he took nine wickets at an average of 19.66.-References:**...
. He moved on to more curvilinear forms, exhibited at the Drian Galleries in London in 1961, and completed two public commissions in London. He received a Gulbenkian award
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science...
in 1962, and the sculpture prize at the Tokyo Biennale in 1965.
His wife died in 1979, and his sculpture moved on from open forms to more enclosed structures. He returned to painting in the 1980s. Examples of his work are held by many public collections.
He died in Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and was survived by his son and daughter.