David Saunders (artist)

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David Saunders
Born1936
Education St Martin's School of Art, Royal Academy Schools
Occupations
  • Artist
  • teacher
  • musician
Movement Systematic, Constructive

David Saunders (born 1936) is an English artist, teacher, and musician. [1] His work is systematic and constructivist. It is mainly exhibited and appreciated in Europe, where it is held in many national collections.

Contents

Early life and education

Saunders was born in 1936 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. [2] After leaving school, he worked briefly in the advertising industry while taking evening classes held by Vivian Pitchforth at St Martin's School of Art.

Saunders was conscripted into the army and stationed on Salisbury plain, where he enjoyed painting while not on active service. After being discharged, he studied at the Royal Academy Schools under Frederick Gore from 1959 to 1962, where he gained a master's degree. [2]

Career

After completing his studies, Saunders was appointed to a teaching post at Newport College of Art in 1965, where he first met the painter Jeffrey Steele. In 1967 Saunders started producing "Systematic-Constructive" work. [2]

In 1968, at the Arts Council of Great Britain Thirtienth Open Exhibition for Painting and Sculpture in Cardiff, Saunders and Steele won the Purchase Prize. [3] This event began a long collaboration between both artists and, one year later, the establishment of the Systems Group, following the 1969 exhibition in Helsinki. [1]

In 1970, Saunders became artist-in-residence at Sussex University and in 1972 at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, where he studied the works of Piet Mondrian. [2] Between 1970 and 1980 Saunders was a visiting lecturer at the Slade School of Fine Art, London University, which he combined with teaching painting and photography at Liverpool Polytechnic Art School [1]

In the late 1970s, he started looking into colour functions, and in 1985, while living in Clwyd, Wales, he organised a touring exhibition called Colour Presentations. He was a member of the 56 Group in Wales. [2]

In 1988, aged 52, Saunders stepped away from formal teaching. [1]

Art historian Alan Fowler discusses Saunders' work in his 2006 PhD thesis "Constructive Art in Britain 1913 - 2005". [4] Saunders is also mentioned in Alastair Grieve's 2005 book "Constructed Abstract Art in England After the Second World War: A Neglected Avant-Garde". [5]

Personal life

In 1985, Saunders lived in Clwyd, North Wales, returning to London in 1994. [2] In 2006, Saunders moved to Tarascon-sur-Ariège, France, where he is currently resident. [6]

Music

Saunders became associated with the Portsmouth Sinfonia and the Ross and Cromarty Orchestra [7]

Selected exhibitions

Solo

Group

Works in public collections

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Saunders, David. "Curriculum Vitae". David Saunders. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Buckman, David (1998), Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, Art Dictionaries Ltd, p. 1072
  3. Saunders, David; Steele, Jeffrey. "Arts Council of Great Britain Report 1969". Internet Archive. Arts Council of Great Britain. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  4. Fowler, Alan (2006), Constructivist Art in Britain 1913-2005, Winchester School of Art, p. 140
  5. Grieve, Alastair (2005), Constructed Abstract Art in England After the Second World War: A Neglected Avant-Garde, Yale University Press, p. 54, ISBN   978-0-300-10703-6
  6. Saunders, David. "About the Artist" . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 Saunders, David (1972). Systems. Arts Council. pp. 40–42.
  8. Saunders, David. "Transforming Surfaces". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 6 April 2024.