William Tillyer’s work has been shown frequently in London and New York since 1970. Admired by fellow artists and collectors, it has mystified critics, even those eager to praise him. Why does his work keep changing? Why does each new phase seem to contradict and undermine the last? Why doesn’t he establish a brand image and stick by it?
Much of his art is about the beauty of the world, of landscapes, still life and buildings; it can also be sublimely beautiful in its use of colour, brushstrokes and pictorial constructions, or dramatic in its size and contrasts. His thoughts are about how art communicates as much as what.
William Tillyer was born in 1938 in Middlesbrough, northern England. Trained in printmaking, Tillyer has evolved into an astonishingly diverse and talented artist. His work encompasses everything from prints to collages to watercolours to oil paintings to mixed-media constructions. Today he is one of Britain’s most respected artists, with a still-growing reputation.
