William Turnbull 1922-2012
William Turnbull was a sculptor, painter and printmaker.
In the early 1950s Turnbull was involved with the Independent group at the ICA, whose lectures on recent scientific, sociological and philosophical ideas were of great interest to the artist. Turnbull's early work used simple linear elements as basic signs, often implying play and movement. These were followed by paintings in which the motion of groups of figures was suggested by gestural line.The motif of the head as an object became predominant in his works during the mid 1950s. From 1955 to 1957 he treated the same motif with a calligraphic handling or heavy use of the palette-knife. Until 1963 his sculpture incorporated several parts in contrasting materials, such as bronze, stone and wood.Later in his career he began to erase vestigial imagery. At first he produced almost monochromatic, heavily worked surfaces, followed by thinly painted colour fields . These were either vertically divided or incorporated cropped discs that implied an extension beyond the canvas. Later his paintings comprised sections of colour accented by occasional diagonals or bands clinging to the edge.Turnbull's painted steel sculptures from 1963 to 1968 often involved irregular wavy forms. Turnbull's three-dimensional work corresponded with the concerns of the American Minimalists in its repetition of ready-made geometric units and concern for different responses to identical forms when set in a new context. Turnbull returned in 1977 to small, modelled sculptures. These later works, while evoking his sculpture of the 1950s, were more intimate and less dauntingly imposing.
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William TurnbullSeated Figure, 1955Unique Monoprint76.5 x 56 cms
30 1/16 x 22 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullHorse, 1950Bronze, from the edition of 678.1 x 95.3 x 62.2 cms
30 11/16 x 37 8/16 x 24 7/16 ins -
William TurnbullRunning Figure, 1953Watercolour, ink and crayon on paper76.1 x 55.4 cms
29 15/16 x 21 12/16 ins -
William TurnbullThree Figures (blue/green), 1953Crayon on paper56.3 x 38.4 cms
22 2/16 x 15 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullThree Figures (blue/green), 1953Crayon on paper56.3 x 38.4 cms
22 2/16 x 15 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullThree Figures (red/blue/green), 1953Crayon on paper56.2 x 38.5 cms
22 2/16 x 15 2/16 ins -
William TurnbullThree Figures (red/blue/green), 1953Crayon on paper56.2 x 38.5 cms
22 2/16 x 15 2/16 ins -
William TurnbullTwo Figures (red/black), 1953Crayon and printer's ink on paper56.4 x 38.4 cms
22 3/16 x 15 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullTwo Figures (red/green/brown), 1953Crayon on paper76.2 x 56.1 cms
30 x 22 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullUntitled (Homage to Giacometti), 1954Oil on Canvas128 x 102 cms
50 6/16 x 40 2/16 ins -
William TurnbullHead, 1955Watercolour and goauche on paper76 x 55.5 cms
29 14/16 x 21 13/16 ins -
William TurnbullHead, 1955Watercolour and goauche on paper76.5 x 56 cms
30 1/16 x 22 1/16 ins -
William TurnbullHead, 1955Watercolour on Paper64.3 x 43.1 cms
25 5/16 x 16 15/16 ins -
William TurnbullHead (Calligraphic), 1955Ink and Gouache on paper54 x 38.8 cms
21 4/16 x 15 4/16 ins -
William TurnbullHead (blue/yellow), 1956Silkscreen on paper76.5 x 56.2 cms
30 1/16 x 22 2/16 ins -
William TurnbullMetamorphoses, 1980Bronze on stone base33 x 32.5 x 2.8 cms
12 15/16 x 12 12/16 x 1 1/16 ins
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Twentieth Century British Art 2012
6 - 21 Dec 2012Artists whose work is presented include: Frank Auerbach Tony Bevan John Bratby Edward Burra Jake & Dinos Chapman Geoffrey Clarke Prunella Clough John Davies Eric Gill David Hockney Gary Hume...Read more -
A Tribute to Sir Colin St John Wilson
21 Nov - 1 Dec 2007James Hyman is proud to present a personal tribute to Sir Colin St John Wilson, one of Britain's greatest architects and art collectors of the last half-century. The exhibition follows...Read more -
William Turnbull. Heads and Figures. 1953-56
23 Sep - 12 Nov 2004PRESS RELEASE William Turnbull. Heads and Figures. 1953-56 23 September – 12 November 2004 'To develop one's own language you have to go back to the essentials, start with something...Read more -
A Century of Drawing
Important modern British works on paper from the Camden Town School to Bridget Riley 2 Jul - 29 Aug 2003 -
Henry Moore and the Geometry of Fear
Robert Adams, Kenneth Armitage, Reg Butler, Lynn Chadwick, Geoffrey Clarke, Bernard Meadows, Henry Moore, Eduardo Paolozzi and William Turnbull 11 Nov 2002 - 1 Jan 2003Exactly fifty years ago this year the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale presented a major exhibition entitled New Aspects of British Sculpture. Outside the pavilion the visitor was greeted...Read more