Tag: artist

Designer Desire: Hugo Simberg

Montage of Hugo Simberg artworks

It was while searching for examples of art by Hugo Kohler a few weeks ago that I happened across the strange and haunting work of another Hugo – Hugo Simberg.

Simberg (1873-1917) was a Finnish artist, his compositions often concerned with the symbolism around the death and the macabre; angels, devils and the grim reaper.

Simberg’s language arises from the realisation of the temporality and mortality of human existence. Simberg saw life as a cycle in which death only prepared for a new life. It is like a long hibernation, overwhelmed by the spring sun and awakening nature. When things that scare us are expressed, they become less scary and easier to understand. Finnish Spirit

As well as drawings and paintings, he carried out – alongside Magnus Enckell – the interior decoration of St John’s Church in Tampere (now Tampere Cathedral).

Many of his works and a large collection of archive material can be found in the Finnish National Gallery and the Ateneum Art Gallery.

Portrait of Hugo Simberg (left) with studio assistant
Portrait of Hugo Simberg (left) with studio assistant

credit

Additional image credits:
Picryl | Public Domain Review

Designer Desire: Stuart Walton

Montage of Stuart Walton artworks

Stuart Walton (b. 1933) is a self-taught fine art painter, born in Dewsbury and raised in the Middleton area of Leeds. He showed artistic promise from a young age, winning art competitions whilst at school. However, being a ‘working class lad’, he took a job as a sign writer at Lewis’s, a department store in Leeds city centre.

In the 1970s, he gave up his job of Assistant Display Manager to paint full time. In 1975, he was appointed first Yorkshire Television Fine Arts Fellow.

His ‘northern industrial’ subject matter often contains repeated motifs; rows of red brick terraces, smoking chimneys, clothes drying on a washing line and Victorian street lamps.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Stuart suffered from deteriorating eye sight forcing him to cease producing artworks. Thankfully, his eyesight has since been treated and Stuart continues to paint to this day.

Stewart Walton is a very talented artist who I used to work with in the Display Studio at Lewis’s on the Headrow in the late 60’s. He was producing at that time acrylics on canvas depicting old streets of Leeds mainly Holbeck, Armley, Beeston and Hunslet. Due to inner city re generation they were demolishing properties in these areas faster that Stewart could paint them so we got together to do some photo shoots. I took colour reversal pictures that Stewart was able to copy and between us we were able to make a considerable record. From a recollection of a person named ‘Kenneth’, Secret Leeds forum, August 2009

The Hepworth Wakefield and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool hold examples of his work in their permanent collections.

You can purchase original vintage artworks and limited edition prints at auction and on eBay.

Portrait of Stuart Waltoncredit

Additional image credits:
Artnet

Designer Desire: Hywel Harries

Montage of Hywel Harries paintings

Hywel Harries (1921-1990) was a Welsh fine artist specialising in oil paintings of landscapes and also book & magazine illustrations and cartoons.

Since living in Wales and getting to know our local area, some of his scenes have become very familiar. For example, Machynlleth with its prominent clock tower (shown above), Aberystwyth seafront and Aberaeron harbour.

He tried his had at many artistic styles; I particularly like his 1970s interpretations of Sydney Curnow Vosper’s famous Salem painting (top of the montage above).

Alongside his own practice, he had a long career in art education. He became art master at Machynlleth secondary school in 1950 moving on to becoming head of the art department in Arwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth in 1954. Following local reorganisation of secondary education, he held the post at Penglais School. He retired from education in 1981.

In 1963, he founded the Ceredigion Art Society. He also served time on the boards of the Royal Cambrian Academy, the Art and Craft Committee of the Council of the National Eisteddfod as well as the North Wales Federation of Art Groups.

© Bangor University | Ceredigion Museum | National Museum Wales | The National Library of Wales

Designer Desire: Alfred Wallis

Montage of Alfred Wallis artworks

Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) began his working life as an apprentice basket-maker. He became a trans-Atlantic mariner and later a local fisherman in and around Cornwall. He only began painting at the ripe old age of 67 – ‘for company’ – after the death of his wife. He was completely self-taught and is known for his simplistic representations of boats, ships, bridges and lighthouses. Having little spare money for art supplies, he often painted on scraps of cardboard and wood using marine paint.

After five or so years, he started being championed by the artist, Ben Nicholson who, in 1928 along with Christopher Wood, happened upon Wallis on a visit to St Ives, Cornwall. Wallis’ work was soon purchased and collected by many eminent artists of the time who appreciated and emulated his naturally naive aesthetic; Nicholson, Wood, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron. According to Nicholson, Wallis’ work was:

something that has grown out of the Cornish seas and earth and which will endure

A large selection of his works can be found at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge; the home of Jim Ede, one time Director of the Tate. Examples of his work are in the permanent collections of the Tate and MoMA.

There are numerous books dedicated to his life and works available from Abe Books and Amazon.

Despite finding a measure of success, and his artworks which are now selling for fortunes, Alfred Wallis died in a workhouse in poverty.

Portrait of Alfred Walliscredit

Additional image credits:
Bonhams | Christies