John Bridgeman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| John Bridgeman | |
 John Bridgeman in his studio |
|
| Born | 1916 |
| Died | 2004 |
| Famous works | Mater Dolorosa, Coventry Cathedral; 'Compassion' for the Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham |
John Bridgeman (2 February 1916 –29 December 2004), ARCA, FRBS [1] and FRBSA,[2] was a sculptor born in Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK. Named Arthur John, he was usually called 'Bridge' by his friends and signed himself John Bridgeman. He joined Colchester School of Art at the age of 14 and went on from there to the Royal College of Art where he studied with Frank Dobson (sculptor)[3] and won the Otto Beit Medal for Sculpture. His first love was painting, and it was during this period that he produced may gouache paintings and pastels in a Romantic style celebrating the English countryside.[4] After the war he was awarded the British School at Rome Scholarship, but did not take this up going on to work with Misha Black and then on the Dome of Discovery for the Festival of Britain. After a spell as head of sculpture at Carlisle School of Art he succeeded William Bloye as head of Sculpture at Birmingham School of Art where he worked until retirement in 1981.
His work was popular with both private and municipal patrons and he contributed particularly to the regeneration of Birmingham after the war through the creation of a number of iconic pieces of public art. He also created play sculptures for children in the new council estates which were being built - an innovative idea that was ahead of its time in the 1950s. Always experimenting with new materials, his cement fondue Mother and Baby for Birmingham Maternity Hospital [6] and the recently restored over-life-size bronze group 'Compassion' for the Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham [7] are typical of his large scale commissions[8]. The Mater Dolorosa in the Lady chapel of the then recently rebuilt Coventry Cathedral is perhaps the most powerful of his religious works, which he created throughout his life.[9] His philosophy of art and his interest in methods and materials are embodied in the book he co-wrote with his wife, the author and journalist Irene Dancyger, Clay Models and Stone Carving, 1974.[10] Towards the end of his life he concentrated on smaller female figures proving himself to be one of the last great practitioners of the art of lost-wax modelling.
[edit] External Links
- Obituary of John Bridgeman from the Independent January 13 2005
- Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.rbs.org.uk/cgibin/rbs_gallery.cgi?userid=320&letter=B
- ^ http://www.rbsa.org.uk/join/profiles/jbridgeman.htm
- ^ http://www.leicestergalleries.com/provenart/dealer_stock_details.cgi?d_id=&a_id=11217
- ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970921/ai_n14130734
- ^ http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/BM/WMwaWAvh003.htm
- ^ http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/images/nrpBM/BMAP4.jpg
- ^ http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/images/nrpBM/BMAK12.jpg
- ^ http://www.acbwm.org.uk/ACBNews/2006/may2006.pdf
- ^ http://coventrycathedraltour.org.uk/images/features/virgin_mary.jpg
- ^ http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/search?q=au%3AIrene+Dancyger&qt=hot_author
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | john Bridgeman |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bridgeman |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 2 February 1916 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Felixstowe, England, United Kingdom |
| DATE OF DEATH | 29 December 2004 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Warwick, England, United Kingdom |
