Much of his art is about the beauty of the world, of landscapes, still life and buildings; it can also be sublimely beautiful in its use of colour, brushstrokes and pictorial constructions, or dramatic in its size and contrasts. His thoughts are about how art communicates as much as what.
William Tillyer was born in 1938 in Middlesbrough, northern England. Trained
in printmaking, Tillyer has evolved into an astonishingly diverse
and talented artist. His work encompasses everything from prints to
collages to watercolours to oil paintings to mixed-media constructions.
Today he is one of Britain's most respected artists, with a still-growing
reputation.
Biography
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS |
| 2003 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| 2002 |
Broadbent, London |
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| 2000 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| 1999 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| |
Charleston Gallery, Sussex |
| 1997 |
Annandale Galleries,Sydney, Australia |
| 1996 |
Cleveland Gallery, Middlesbrough |
| 1995 |
Belloc Lowndes Fine Art Inc, Chicago |
| |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
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Harewood Visual Arts, Leeds |
| 1994 |
Royal West on England Academy |
| |
Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York |
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| |
Wildenstein & Co. Ltd, London |
| 1993 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| |
Adelson Galleries, New York |
| 1992 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| |
Adelson Galleries, New York |
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Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles |
| 1991 |
Cleveland Bridge Gallery, Bath |
| |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
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Wildenstein & Co. Ltd, London |
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Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg |
| 1990 |
Images Gallery, Ohio, USA |
| 1989 |
Smith Anderson Gallery, California |
| |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| 1987 |
Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh |
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Louise Hallett Gallery, London |
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
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Jan Turner Gallery, Los Angeles |
| 1985 |
Roger Ramsay Gallery, Chicago |
| 1983 |
Bernard Jacobson Galleries, London, New York and Los Angeles |
| 1982 |
Melbourne University Gallery, Australia |
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Roslyn Oxley Gallery, Sydney |
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Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney |
| 1981 |
Oriel Gallery, Cardiff |
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, Los Angeles |
| 1980 |
Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London |
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Curwen Gallery, London |
| 1978 |
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London |
| 1978 |
Hobson Gallery, Cambridge |
| |
Nuffield Gallery, Southampton University |
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Ian Birkstead Gallery, London |
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Stadia Graphics, Sydney |
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Gallery Malmgran, Gothenburg |
| 1977 |
Kornblee Gallery, New York |
| 1976 |
Galerie Ahlner, Stockholm |
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Asard and Asard, Johanneshov, Sweden |
| 1975 |
Sunderland Arts Centre |
| |
Galerie Jacques Bosser, Paris |
| |
Gallery Ariadne, New York |
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Museum of Contemporary Art, Utrecht |
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Neue Galerie Museum, Linz |
| |
Gallery 39, Manchester |
| |
ICA Galleries, London |
| 1974 |
Atmosphere Gallery, London |
| |
Studio La Citta', Verona |
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Galerie Jacomo-Santiveri, Paris |
| 1973 |
Galerie Multitude, Paris |
| 1972 |
Grafiska Sallskapet, Stockholm |
| 1971 |
Serpentine Gallery, London |
| 1970 |
Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol |
| 1962 |
Middlesbrough Art Gallery |
| 1938 |
Born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire |
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| BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY |
| 1956-1959 |
Studied painting at Middlesbrough College of Art. |
| 1958 |
First visit to Paris for the opening of the Unesco Building
and the inaugural exhibition. |
| 1960-1962 |
Studied painting under William Coldstream and etching under
Anthony Gross at the Slade School, London. |
| 1962 |
Made first woodcut prints in Edinburgh.
Awarded French Government Scholarship to study gravure under
William Hayter at Atelier 17, Paris. |
| 1963 |
Returned to London and married Judith Jackson.
Started part-time work at Chelsea School of Art, London (until
1970).
Taught etching at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham (until 1972)
. |
| 1966 |
Moved to Parsons Green studio.
Built an etching press and made first series of coloured prints
and constructed paintings. |
| 1967 |
Daughter Kim born. |
| 1968 |
Son York born. |
| 1970-1973 |
Worked in the Foundation Department of Watford School of Art. |
| 1973 |
Stopped regular art school teaching. |
| 1974 |
First visit to New York for the opening of his first one-man
exhibition there.
Also visited Los Angeles.
Started work on illustrations for 'A Rebours' by J.K. Huysman.
Moved to London Bridge Studio.
Spent the summer in Verona working on his first 'Hotel Room'
watercolours. |
| 1975 |
Travelled to Utrecht for his first Dutch exhibition at the
Museum of Contemporary Art. |
| 1975-1976 |
Moved to Providence Rhode Island, USA as visiting Professor
at Brown University. |
| 1977 |
Spent time working in Sweden prior to his Gothenburg exhibition. |
| 1978 |
Moved to Wiltshire and started to work on the first mesh paintings. |
| 1980 |
Returned to live and work in North Yorkshire. |
| 1981-1982 |
Appointed artist-in-residence at Melbourne University, Australia.
Travelled to the Simpson Desert. Painted the Open Mesh canvases.
Travelled through France, Switzerland and Italy, 'The First
Grand Tour' working in watercolours. |
| 1984 |
Travelled extensively throughout South Western America making
watercolours.
Worked on the Bridge Mesh paintings and the Esk Bridge series
of etchings . |
| 1987 |
Moved to Westwood Studios in North Yorkshire. |
| 1989 |
Showed the first Westwood Paintings.
Began to work on ceramic project at Fulham Pottery . |
| 1990 |
Invited by Mixographia to work in Los Angeles on large scale
relief prints.
Travelled through California and Arizona. |
| 1992 |
Trip to Ireland to make watercolours of the Lake Isle of Innisfree |
| 1993 |
Visited Pennsylvania to make a series of watercolours based
on Frank Lloyd Wright house "Falling Water".
Visited Cooperstown, Lake Otsego and the James Fenimore Cooper
collection of Native American artifacts. |
| 1994 |
Travelled in Italy visiting Florence, Ravenna and Mantua.
Worked on the Blackhaven Paintings. |
| 1995-1996 |
Worked on the Fluxion Paintings. |
| 1996-1999 |
Working and living in North Yorkshire. |
| 1997 |
Spent six months living and working in Paris. Paris interiors
series. |
| 1998 |
Short-listed for the Jerwood Prize. |
| 2000 |
Publication of "Against the Grain" a major monograph
by Norbert Lynton.
Started the Encounters series. |
| 2001 |
Travelled to the Sates for 6 weeks.
Continues work on the Encounters series. |
| 2002 |
Travelled to Ireland, worked on a series of watercolours as
part of the 'Hardware: Variations on the theme of Encounter'
group of works.
Finishes Encounter series |
 |
