Offer Waterman has announced that a special exhibition in honour of the birth of William Turnbull will be organized. Turnbull was a well-known Scottish artist that died in 2012. The exhibition will take place at the Frieze’s Gallery Space in No.9 Cork Street in London and will mark 100 years since the birth of the Modernist artist.
Here’s What You Need to Know about the William Turnbull’s Exhibition
Without a doubt, William Turnbull was one of the greatest sculptors. His works were unique and memorable, and the fact that 100 years after his birth, he will be honoured in one of the most prominent exhibition spaces in London speaks a lot about his talent. The organizer of the event is Offer Waterman.
The period in which his works will be shown to the public will be from June 29th to July 20th. The exhibition will be arranged in six rooms and will present more than 50 paintings by William Turnbull, as well as many of his mesmerizing sculptures.
A major retrospective of works by William Turnbull opens at Frieze’s gallery space at No.9 Cork Street in London later this month (29 June-20 July) to coincide with the centenary of the late post-war British artist’s birth. On Saturdays, the movie Beyond Time, which is about the artist himself, will be screened in the basement of the facility.
The long period during which the exhibition will be open is quite convenient, allowing everyone to pay the event a visit at a time suitable for them. The opening time should be considered, however. According to the data provided on the official site of Offer Waterman, visitors can view William Turnbull’s works between 10 AM and 6 PM from Tuesday to Saturday.
William Turnbull and His Interest in Arts
William Turnbull was born in 1912. His talent as an artist first showed up when he was only 15 years of age. Back in that time, Turnbull has to work in order to make ends meet. One of his first works included painting movie posters. Even though the money was not that much, William enjoyed spending his time with a brush in his hand.
Not long after, he began going to evening drawing classes at the Scottish Dundee University. He showed immense interest during the courses, and two of his teachers were Fred Mould and James M. Patrick. As he got better, Turnbull got familiar with contemporary European art and was greatly influenced by the founder of impressionist paintings Oscar-Claude Monet.
His immense interest in Impressionism has resulted in Turnbull transferring from the painting department in the Slade School of Fine Arts in London to the sculpture department. He did not enjoy the fact that European Impressionism was somehow neglected. Additionally, he was much more skilled than the other students attending the classes.
The Beginning of Turnbull’s Successful Career
When he transferred to the sculpture department, William found out that he was quite intrigued by the discipline. He moved to Paris in 1948, but in 1950, Turnbull returned to London to host an exhibition alongside Paolozzi. The event was held in the Hanover Gallery and was the first public showing of William Turnbull’s works.
The following years were a bit hard for Turnbull, and he had to ditch his career as an artist in order to earn more money. Nonetheless, in 1952, the Institute of Contemporary Art included Turnbull in their exhibition dedicated to young sculptors. He then became part of the Independent Group along with other artists.
The popularity of Turnbull and his works increased even more in the upcoming years, and eventually, he began teaching sculpture in London. Many exhibitions followed, as well, and William tried to expand his expertise as much as possible. He got familiar with fiberglass and Perspex and used these materials to create plenty of his works. Some of his most successful and notable sculptures include:
- War Goddess
- Hanging Sculpture
- Horse
- Human Head
- Eve
- Blade Venus
- Metamorphosis Pendant
Turnbull drew his inspiration from numerous sources. That was one of the reasons for the creation of so many successful and unparalleled works. Cubism, medieval figures and sculptures, and Minimalism were some of the main creativity-boosters for Turnbull. He even got inspired by the shape of his son’s skateboard.
What Will People See at the Exhibition
The listing presented above consists of some of Turnbull’s most well-known works. Unsurprisingly, a few of them will be part of the exhibition. There, visitors will be able to see the Head, the Female Figure, and the Horse. There are several different sculptures with the same theme, so each of these will have a separate room for the presentation.
Apart from the sculptures, guests will be able to view many of William Turnbull’s paintings, as well. According to the information provided by the organizers, a long canvas will be hung on the walls, which will be one of the most impressive things during the art show. Many of the works there will be for sale. The prices will range depending on the type of work. For instance, paintings will be sold for sums ranging between £60,000 and £200,000. The price of sculptures, however, may reach immense figures exceeding £1 million.
