Sadly, he died in 1997 when in his early 50s.
Although born in Glasgow, when very young he left Scotland for London and then, when still only eight years old, moved, with his family of course, to a hill farm in Devon. One who was unfortunate enough to be plagued by illness, he attended Foxhole School, Dartington, and also studied at Exeter College of Art for what has been described as "a short and turbulent time".
His health problems were not to improve for a long while, not until an eminent psychiatrist came to his rescue, in fact, suggesting that there was every chance he would cure himself if "provided with a roof over his head, supplied with art materials and given a small allowance".
It was a prescription which worked. He went on to enrol at Heatherley's, also attended St Martin's where he had the good luck to study under Maggi Hambling, and eventually lived and worked in Lincolnshire. Having family connections with Cornwall he came often to this part of the world and four of the 25 pictures in this exhibition are from his Bathers' Series, St Ives. Made in the 1980s, they relate to the landscape-based abstracts made by the post-war avant garde artists in the town.
Admission is free, and In Retrospect can be seen in Trereife Gallery 11am to 5pm daily until July 4.
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