William Tillyer
Encyclopedia
William Tillyer is an English
artist. His work has been shown frequently in London and New York since 1970.
He studied art
in his home town from 1956-9, moving south to London
in the 1960s to study at the Slade School of Art. It was there where he encountered William Coldstream
and Anthony Gross, among others. Following his time at the Slade, Tillyer took up a French Government Scholarship to study gravure under Stanley William Hayter
, at Atelier 17 in Paris.
On his return to London, Tillyer began to make radically experimental work which raised questions about the relationship of art to the world - man to nature. Wandering between the conceptual intrigue of works like Eight Clouds and the Minimalist assertions of works like Red Interior, Tillyer developed a range of means by which to deepen the external references of his work.
Consistently searching for new means by which to explore his thoughts, the 1970s saw Tillyer return to print-making with renewed vigour. He won international acclaim at the Second International Print Bienalle in Krakow, and found the support of Bernard Jacobson
, who has been his dealer ever since. With these prints Tillyer used a variety of techniques, from etching
to five tone screenprinting, to create lattices, which through the gradation of tone themselves depicted what Pat Gilmour, the head of the Print Department at the Tate
, described as 'a cool and unpeopled world...in which to reflect the surrounding flux of nature'.
Such concerns have continued to underpin Tillyer's practice to the present day, the artist balancing formal and technical experimentation against the demands of subject matter - demanding multiple reactions from the viewer. His most recent series reveals the artist returning to some of the earliest themes of his career, isolating John Constable
's cloud studies, as a motif through which to explore his own thoughts about the English Landscape today.
William Tillyer is one of the foremost practitioners of watercolour working in Britain today. In 2010 a major monograph on his watercolours was published by 21 Publishing covering almost 40 years of his practise. In the extensive text American art critic and poet John Yau writes "However beautiful they are, and many of them are extremely beautiful, almost painfully so, Tillyer's watercolours never lead us away in favour of an Edenic vision" William Tillyer Watercolours, 2010, 21 Publishing London
"The Cadiz Caprices are the greatest abstract paintings about Spain by a non-Spaniard since Robert Motherwell
began working on his 'Elegies for The Spanish Republic' around 70 years ago" John Yau
, 2008
"Many people think he is the finest painter in Britain. Many people may be right. He's called William Tillyer" The Sunday Times
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. His work has been shown frequently in London and New York since 1970.
He studied art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
in his home town from 1956-9, moving south to 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...
in the 1960s to study at the Slade School of Art. It was there where he encountered William Coldstream
William Coldstream
Sir William Menzies Coldstream was a British realist painter and a long standing art teacher.-Biography:...
and Anthony Gross, among others. Following his time at the Slade, Tillyer took up a French Government Scholarship to study gravure under Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter , CBE was a British painter and printmaker associated in the 1930s with Surrealism and from 1940 onward with Abstract Expressionism. Regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of the 20th century, in 1927 Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris...
, at Atelier 17 in Paris.
On his return to London, Tillyer began to make radically experimental work which raised questions about the relationship of art to the world - man to nature. Wandering between the conceptual intrigue of works like Eight Clouds and the Minimalist assertions of works like Red Interior, Tillyer developed a range of means by which to deepen the external references of his work.
Consistently searching for new means by which to explore his thoughts, the 1970s saw Tillyer return to print-making with renewed vigour. He won international acclaim at the Second International Print Bienalle in Krakow, and found the support of Bernard Jacobson
Bernard Jacobson Gallery
Bernard Jacobson Gallery deals in modern and contemporary British and international art. The gallery is currently based in Cork Street, London.-History:...
, who has been his dealer ever since. With these prints Tillyer used a variety of techniques, from etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
to five tone screenprinting, to create lattices, which through the gradation of tone themselves depicted what Pat Gilmour, the head of the Print Department at the Tate
Tate
-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
, described as 'a cool and unpeopled world...in which to reflect the surrounding flux of nature'.
Such concerns have continued to underpin Tillyer's practice to the present day, the artist balancing formal and technical experimentation against the demands of subject matter - demanding multiple reactions from the viewer. His most recent series reveals the artist returning to some of the earliest themes of his career, isolating John Constable
John Constable
John Constable was an English Romantic painter. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home—now known as "Constable Country"—which he invested with an intensity of affection...
's cloud studies, as a motif through which to explore his own thoughts about the English Landscape today.
William Tillyer is one of the foremost practitioners of watercolour working in Britain today. In 2010 a major monograph on his watercolours was published by 21 Publishing covering almost 40 years of his practise. In the extensive text American art critic and poet John Yau writes "However beautiful they are, and many of them are extremely beautiful, almost painfully so, Tillyer's watercolours never lead us away in favour of an Edenic vision" William Tillyer Watercolours, 2010, 21 Publishing London
"The Cadiz Caprices are the greatest abstract paintings about Spain by a non-Spaniard since Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell American painter, printmaker and editor. He was one of the youngest of the New York School , which also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Philip Guston....
began working on his 'Elegies for The Spanish Republic' around 70 years ago" John Yau
John Yau
John Yau is an American poet and critic who lives in New York City. He received his B.A. from Bard College in 1972 and his M.F.A. from Brooklyn College in 1978...
, 2008
"Many people think he is the finest painter in Britain. Many people may be right. He's called William Tillyer" The Sunday Times