In The News

Tributes are paid to the painter and sculptor William Turnbull

Tributes are paid to the painter and sculptor William Turnbull

TRIBUTES have been paid to the painter and sculptor William Turnbull, who has passed away aged 90.

Born in Dundee, Mr. Turnbull first began to hone his artistic skills when he was employed to paint film posters as a teenager. He went on to attend night classes in art at Dundee University before landing a job as an illustrator with the publishers DC Thomson in the late 1930s.

But he had to wait until after war service as an RAF pilot before being able to study full-time at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. By the end of the 1940s he had moved to Paris where he was soon moving in the same circles as many of the top painters and sculptors in the city at the time.

The experience was to influence his early works as well as marking the beginning of his search for the essence of any object.

After returning to London in the 1950s, the young artist taught for a time at the Central School of Arts and Crafts — the first of two periods at the school. It was during this period that Mr. Turnbull became a leading member of what was regarded as a splinter group within the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Over the years his work has been exhibited across the world.

Among the many people to pay tribute to Mr. Turnbull was Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate. He said: “William Turnbull was an exceptional artist, unusually gifted both as a painter and a sculptor”.

Mr. Turnbull is survived by his two sons, Alex and Johnny.

To see examples of Mr. Turnbull’s work, as well as view a trailer for Beyond Time: William Turnbull, a documentary released by his son Alex, please visit the artist’s official website by clicking here.

View previous In the News items: Retailer who helped Elvis with fashion advice passes away, Tributes are paid to photographer Alf Kumalo, Widow of poet TS Eliot passes away, Former governor of the Falkland Islands Sir Rex Hunt passes away, Former Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey passes away, Headstone is erected 94 years after burial of Portadown soldier, Tributes are paid to actor Clive Dunn, Funeral of Comber soldier Channing Day to take place, Funeral of murdered prison officer David Black takes place, Former racing driver John Fitch passes away, Tributes are paid to songwriter Bill Dees, Tributes are paid to musician Jo Dunne, Composer Hans Werner Henze passes away, Battle of Britain pilot William Walker passes away, Veteran US politician George McGovern passes away, Genius inventor Stanford Ovshinsky passes away, Former footballer Helmut Haller passes away, Tributes are paid to veteran MP Sir Stuart Bell, Scientist behind cloning breakthrough passes away, Tributes are paid to former cricketer Kevin Curran, Former PoW Eric Lomax passes away, Atom bomb physicist Robert Christy passes away, Great session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan passes away, Tributes are paid to historian Eric Hobsbawm, Motown producer Frank Wilson passes away, Veteran actor Herbert Lom passes away, Singer Andy Williams passes away, Former football manager John Bond passes away, Tributes are paid to Cookstown funeral director, Tributes are paid to top wine merchant, Former London gangster Charlie Richardson passes away, American poet Louis Simpson passes away, Funeral takes place of tragic father and sons, Former footballer Jimmy Andrews passes away, Man behind advances in Formula 1 racing safety passes away, Discovered remains may be those of Richard III, Film producer Jake Eberts passes away, Inventor of modern laptop computer Bill Moggridge passes away, Wildlife expert Terry Nutkins passes away, Singer songwriter Joe South passes away, Funeral of motorcycle road racer takes place, Oscar nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan passes away, Oscar nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan passes away, Comedian and entertainer Max Bygraves passes away, Former junior minister Sir Rhodes Boyson passes away, Former Royal Navy frogman Sydney Knowles passes away, First man on the moon Neil Armstrong passes away, Character actor william Windom passes away, Amy Winehouse Foundation supports hospice in Dublin, Author Nina Bawden passes away, Comedian Phyllis Diller passes away, Tributes are paid to singer songwriter Scott McKenzie or Tragic mother Winnie Johnson passes away

 

If you have a relative or a friend who has passed away and feel they should be mentioned in our In the News section, then please email us.