Fenwick Lawson

Last updated

Fenwick Lawson
Statue of St Cuthbert by Fenwick Lawson, Lindisfarne Priory - geograph.org.uk - 1239259.jpg
Statue of St Cuthbert by Fenwick Lawson, Lindisfarne Priory
Born
Fenwick Justin John Lawson

(1932-05-19) 19 May 1932 (age 91)
South Moor, County Durham
NationalityEnglish
Education Sunderland College of Art (1951–54) and Royal College of Art, London (1954–57)
Known forSculpture

Fenwick Justin John Lawson, ARCA (born 19 May 1932 in South Moor, County Durham) is an English sculptor based in the north-east of England.

Contents

Life

Fenwick Lawson was born in 1932 in South Moor, County Durham, and spent his childhood in the neighbouring village of Craghead.

He studied at the Sunderland College of Art (1951–54) and Royal College of Art, London (1954–57), under John Skeaping and under the influence of Jacob Epstein (then in the college working on the Llandaff Christ). In 1958 and 1959, having been awarded the Sir James Knott Travelling Scholarship, he completed his studies by travel in France, Italy and Greece, being influenced by the sculptural masters such as Michelangelo and Donatello and by the simplicity of form in Cycladic art.

In 1961, he was appointed lecturer in sculpture at Newcastle-upon-Tyne College of Art and when this merged into Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic in 1970, he became a principal Lecturer and head of sculpture before retiring from teaching in 1984.

He has been a member of various bodies, such as the Art and Architects Department of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (1972–77), the Fabrics Advisory Committee of Newcastle Cathedral (1991–94), and the Advisory Committee for Historic Churches in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (1995–2000). He was also visiting lecturer at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, Scotland (1987) and at the Royal Academy in London (1987–89). He has been an honorary member of the Northumbria Branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1986, and was a trustee of Durham City Trust from 1979 to 1995.

'The Journey', public sculpture in Durham City by Lawson The Journey Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.JPG
'The Journey', public sculpture in Durham City by Lawson

Lawson has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from Durham University (2008). Durham City's 'The Journey' was unveiled by The Princess Royal on 26 September 2008. Lawson was granted the Freeman of the City of Durham on 10 November 2008.

Blue plaque commemorating sculptor Fenwick Lawson Blue plaque commemorating sculptor Fenwick Lawson.jpg
Blue plaque commemorating sculptor Fenwick Lawson

Some of Fenwick's work

Name, date, and current location.

Wheel Cross by Fenwick Lawson Wheel Cross by Fenwick Lawson with Durham Cathedral.jpg
Wheel Cross by Fenwick Lawson

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindisfarne</span> Tidal island in northeast England

Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important centre of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan, Cuthbert, Eadfrith, and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. The island was originally home to a monastery, which was destroyed during the Viking invasions but re-established as a priory following the Norman Conquest of England. Other notable sites built on the island are St. Mary the Virgin parish church, Lindisfarne Castle, several lighthouses and other navigational markers, and a complex network of lime kilns. In the present day, the island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a hotspot for historical tourism and bird watching. As of February 2020, the island had three pubs, a hotel and a post office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuthbert</span> 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop, monk, hermit and saint

Cuthbert of Lindisfarne was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, today in north-eastern England and south-eastern Scotland. Both during his life and after his death, he became a popular medieval saint of Northern England, with a cult centred on his tomb at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of Northumbria. His feast days are 20 March and 4 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North East England</span> Region of England

North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region: combined authority, unitary authority or metropolitan borough, and civil parishes. They are also multiple divisions without administrative functions; ceremonial county, emergency services, built-up areas and historic county. The largest settlements in the region are Newcastle upon Tyne, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Gateshead, Darlington, Hartlepool and Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northumberland</span> County of England

Northumberland is a ceremonial county in North East England, bordering Scotland. It is bordered by the Scottish Borders to the north, the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The town of Blyth is the largest settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindisfarne Gospels</span> Illuminated manuscript gospel book

The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated manuscript gospel book probably produced around the years 715–720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, which is now in the British Library in London. The manuscript is one of the finest works in the unique style of Hiberno-Saxon or Insular art, combining Mediterranean, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyne and Wear</span> County of England

Tyne and Wear is a ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrow</span> Town in England

Jarrow is a town in South Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. Historically in County Durham, it is on the south bank of the River Tyne, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the east coast. The 2011 census area classed Hebburn and The Boldons as part of the town, it had a population of 43,431. It is home to the southern portal of the Tyne Tunnel and 5 mi (8.0 km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cuthbert Gospel</span> Early 8th-century Anglo-Saxon pocket gospel book

The St Cuthbert Gospel, also known as the Stonyhurst Gospel or the St Cuthbert Gospel of St John, is an early 8th-century pocket gospel book, written in Latin. Its finely decorated leather binding is the earliest known Western bookbinding to survive, and both the 94 vellum folios and the binding are in outstanding condition for a book of this age. With a page size of only 138 by 92 millimetres, the St Cuthbert Gospel is one of the smallest surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. The essentially undecorated text is the Gospel of John in Latin, written in a script that has been regarded as a model of elegant simplicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Tyneside</span> Metropolitan borough in England

South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedlington</span> Town in Northumberland, England

Bedlington is a town and former civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 18,470 measured at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Durham</span> County of England

County Durham, officially simply Durham (/ˈdʌrəm/), is a ceremonial county in North East England. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to the north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington.

This timeline summarises significant events in the history of Northumbria and Northumberland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Durham</span> Diocese of the Church of England

The diocese of Durham is a diocese of the Church of England in North East England. The boundaries of the diocese are the historic boundaries of County Durham, meaning it includes the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne and contemporary County Durham north of the River Tees. It contains 249 parishes and 292 churches. Durham Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham, and the diocesan offices are located just outside the city at Stonebridge. The bishop lives in Bishop Auckland and has offices in Auckland Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Newcastle</span> Diocese of the Church of England

The Diocese of Newcastle is a Church of England diocese based in Newcastle upon Tyne, covering the historic county of Northumberland, as well as the area of Alston Moor in Cumbria.

The Durham Rite is a historical liturgical use of the Roman Rite and the Gallican Rite in the English bishopric of Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle</span> Catholic diocese in England

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church, centred on St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England. The diocese is one of the six suffragan sees in the ecclesiastical Province of Liverpool and covers the historic boundaries of County Durham and Northumberland.

William Hogarth was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northumbria (modern)</span> Area in North East England

Northumbria, in modern contexts, usually refers to the region of England between the Tees and Tweed, including the historic counties of Northumberland and Durham, but it may also be taken to be synonymous with North East England. The area corresponds to the rump lands of the historical Kingdom of Northumbria, which later developed into the late medieval county of Northumberland or Comitatus Northumbriae, whose original southern boundary was the River Tees. A provincial flag of Northumbria has been registered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Church, Jarrow</span> Church in England, UK

St Paul's Church, Jarrow, is a Church of England parish church in the Parish of Jarrow and Simonside, on the south bank of the River Tyne in northern England. It was founded in 681 as a part of the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey. Most of the church is later, but the chancel is the remains of a free-standing chapel of the original monastery. Above the chancel arch is a dedication stone dating to 23 April 685, making this one of, if not the oldest, church dedication stones in England. The Church was dedicated to St Paul by King Ecgfrith and Abbot Ceolfrith. The priest and scholar Bede spent most of his life at the monastery and almost certainly worshipped in the oldest part of the church.

The ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear has returned 12 MPs to the UK Parliament since 2010. It was created under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, comprising the urban areas around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear, previously parts of the historic counties of Northumberland and Durham.