David Sylvester
Encyclopedia
Anthony David Bernard Sylvester CBE
, (21 September 1924; London – 19 June 2001; London) was a British art critic
and curator. Although he received no formal education in the arts, during his long career he was influential in promoting modern artists, in particular the work of Joan Miró
, Lucian Freud
and Francis Bacon.
Born into a well connected north-London Jewish family, Sylvester had trouble as a student at University College School
and was thrown out of the family home. He wrote for the paper Tribune
and went to Paris in 1947 where he met Alberto Giacometti
one of the strongest influences on him.
Sylvester is credited with coining the term kitchen sink
originally to describe a strand of post-war British painting typified by John Bratby
. Sylvester used the phrase negatively but it was widely applied to other art forms including literature and theatre.
During the 1950s, Sylvester worked with Henry Moore
, Freud and Bacon but also supported Richard Hamilton
and the other "Young Turks
" of British Pop art
. This led him to become a prominent media figure in the 1960s. During the 1960s and 70s Sylvester occupied a number of roles at the Arts Council of Great Britain
serving on advisory panels and on the main panel. He was also a trustee of the Tate Gallery
, among a number of such positions. In 1969, he curated a Renoir
exhibition at the Hayward Gallery
for which he was assisted by a young Nicholas Serota
. During the 1970s, he became interested in and collected early oriental carpets. In 1983, he curated an exhibition, The Eastern Carpet in the Western World, at the Hayward Gallery
.
Sylvester was awarded a Golden Lion
at the 1993 Venice Biennale
for curating an exhibition of Francis Bacon's work. He was married to Pamela Briddon (three daughters; marriage dissolved). He was also the father of the artist Cecily Brown
with the writer Shena Mackay
. His daughter's names are Catherine, Xanthe and Naomi, all of whom are successful and have children. Catherine Sylvester : (William Dashiell Sweny (Taken name of father) and Caitlin Jane Sweny (Taken name of father). Naomi Sylvester: (Harrison Sylvester). Xanthe Sylvester: (Ines Sylvester and Adam Sylvester).
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (21 September 1924; London – 19 June 2001; London) was a British art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
and curator. Although he received no formal education in the arts, during his long career he was influential in promoting modern artists, in particular the work of Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
, Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
and Francis Bacon.
Born into a well connected north-London Jewish family, Sylvester had trouble as a student at University College School
University College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
and was thrown out of the family home. He wrote for the paper Tribune
Tribune (magazine)
Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, founded in 1937 published in London. It is independent but supports the Labour Party from the left...
and went to Paris in 1947 where he met Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and printmaker.Alberto Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia and came from an artistic background; his father, Giovanni, was a well-known post-Impressionist painter...
one of the strongest influences on him.
Sylvester is credited with coining the term kitchen sink
Kitchen sink realism
Kitchen sink realism is a term coined to describe a British cultural movement which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose 'heroes' usually could be described as angry young men...
originally to describe a strand of post-war British painting typified by John Bratby
John Bratby
John Randall Bratby was an English painter who founded the kitchen sink realism style of art that was influential in the late 1950s....
. Sylvester used the phrase negatively but it was widely applied to other art forms including literature and theatre.
During the 1950s, Sylvester worked with Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, Freud and Bacon but also supported Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (artist)
Richard William Hamilton, CH was a British painter and collage artist. His 1956 collage, Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?, produced for the This Is Tomorrow exhibition of the Independent Group in London, is considered by critics and historians to be one of the...
and the other "Young Turks
Young Turks (disambiguation)
Young Turks was a reform movement in Turkey at the end of the Ottoman Empire.Young Turks or The Young Turks may also refer to:* The Young Turks , a political internet talk show and upcoming television series on Current TV...
" of British Pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
. This led him to become a prominent media figure in the 1960s. During the 1960s and 70s Sylvester occupied a number of roles at the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
serving on advisory panels and on the main panel. He was also a trustee of the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, among a number of such positions. In 1969, he curated a Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty, and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to...
exhibition at the Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
for which he was assisted by a young Nicholas Serota
Nicholas Serota
Sir Nicholas Andrew Serota is a British art curator. Serota was director of the Whitechapel Gallery, London, and The Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, before becoming director of the Tate, the United Kingdom's national gallery of modern and British art in 1988. He was awarded a knighthood in 1999. He...
. During the 1970s, he became interested in and collected early oriental carpets. In 1983, he curated an exhibition, The Eastern Carpet in the Western World, at the Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
.
Sylvester was awarded a Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
at the 1993 Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
for curating an exhibition of Francis Bacon's work. He was married to Pamela Briddon (three daughters; marriage dissolved). He was also the father of the artist Cecily Brown
Cecily Brown
Cecily Brown, born 1969 in London, is a British painter. She has a great respect for art history and her works reveal her reverence and high regard for artists such as Francisco de Goya, Nicolas Poussin, Willem de Kooning, and Joan Mitchell while incorporating into her works her distinct female...
with the writer Shena Mackay
Shena Mackay
Shena Mackay FRSL , is a Scottish novelist born in Edinburgh. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1996 for The Orchard on Fire.-Biography:...
. His daughter's names are Catherine, Xanthe and Naomi, all of whom are successful and have children. Catherine Sylvester : (William Dashiell Sweny (Taken name of father) and Caitlin Jane Sweny (Taken name of father). Naomi Sylvester: (Harrison Sylvester). Xanthe Sylvester: (Ines Sylvester and Adam Sylvester).
Books
An incomplete list:- King, Donald and Sylvester, David eds. The Eastern Carpet in the Western World, From the 15th to the 17th century, Arts Council of Great BritainArts Council of Great BritainThe Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
, London, 1983, ISBN 0728703629
External links
- Guardian obituary June 20, 2001
- David Sylvester, 'Interviews with Francis Bacon (1963, 1966, 1979)', The Guardian, 13 September 2007
- John Tusa. 'Interview with David Sylvester', BBC Radio 3