Fyffe Christie
Encyclopedia
Fyffe William George Christie (b. 2 February 1918, Bushey
, Hertfordshire
, England
, d. 6 March 1979) British figurative artist and mural
painter.
and was unable to read until the age of twelve. He showed an early interest in drawing and painting, as well as in music, playing the bagpipes
. Father George Christie's income remained uncertain however and because of this he sent his son Fyffe to work in the more secure legal profession. After two years Fyffe left the lawyers office he worked in and began an apprenticeship as a lithographic draughtsman but this too proved unsatisfactory.
as a bagpiper (pipers also traditionally serving as stretcher bearers in the field), attending a course at the Army School of Piping in Edinburgh Castle
. He was then posted to the 9th battalion the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The battalion was in continuous action after D-Day, 6 June 1944 and suffered heavy casualties as they fought for eleven months from Normandy into Northern Germany.
During rest periods Christie began to sketch the scenes and landscapes around him in ink and watercolours (he was ambidextrous and drew with both hands). Many of these sketches are now held in the Regimental Museum in Edinburgh, the Imperial War Museum
, London and the Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. Many of the Glasgow men he served with could not read and, having overcome his childhood dyslexia, Christie often helped his comrades by reading their letters from home and writing their replies for them. He spoke little of his wartime experiences but it was during the war that he resolved that he would become an artist.
from 1946 to 1951 studying mural painting under Walter Pritchard. Pritchard was a respected figure in mural painting and Christie worked with him in the painting of a large mural for St. Francis-in-the-East, at Bridgeton in Glasgow. He won the Newbery Medal
in 1950 for the most distinguished student of his year. In 1951 he took a postgraduate's study year and a six month travelling scholarship to France, Germany and Italy. He had also begun teaching evening classes at the School of Art and there met his wife, student Eleanor Munro, the couple marrying on Fyffe's return to Scotland in 1952.
of Christ Feeding the People for the Iona Community
. The work was commissioned by the charismatic founder and leader of the community the Reverend George MacLeod
who had been responsible for the reconstruction of the Abbey on the Island of Iona off Scotland's west coast. The mural was painted on the walls of the community centre canteen on Clyde Street, Glasgow which was open to the public as a cafe and served as a soup kitchen for the homeless. Christie depicted the huge scene of an interior with ordinary folk, men returning from work and women baking and bathing children, while at the centre Jesus serves to a table of people begging to be fed. The portrayal of ordinary folk would seem to lend dignity to their humble work and domestic life, while their depiction in contemporary working dress and the inclusion of Glasgow's Clyde Street in the scene which can be seen through the doors and windows of the mural might also be considered to have brought a sense of immediacy and relevance to the work. Shortly after completion of the work the newspaper The Glasgow Herald ran an article on mural art in Scotland and the work of the muralists Walter Pritchard, William Crosbie
and Christie. The 'powerful simplicity' of Christie's Iona Community mural was praised. Christie preferred to paint directly onto the wall but the Iona Community specified that the commission was completed on panels. Fortunately this allowed the work to be saved following the closure of the centre. After disappearing for several years the work was rediscovered and put on exhibition at the Glasgow Museum of Religious Art. Despite enthusiastic coverage in The Scotsman and Herald newspapers the work was sold by a private dealer to an unknown buyer in England in 1998.
Glasgow College of Piping, Glasgow.
Crossmyloof Ice Rink, Glasgow (demolished).
The James Bridie Memorial Room, Glasgow University Union
. Mural based on the song West End Perk by James Bridie
the playwright and poet. The work was originally sited near the entrance to the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow before being purchased by the James Bridie Trust for the Memorial Room.
Children's Games, 1955, Hillhead Primary School, Glasgow. Four or five panels each approximately 4 ft. X 5 ft
A Modern Pilgrim's Progress Little Ilford Baptist tabernacle, Stamford Rivers, England.
The Seasons (circa 1970),Bromley Hospital, England (relocated to the Canada Wing of the Orpington Hospital).
Christie was also a landscape painter, painting with his wife Eleanor on holidays in Scotland (particularly the Ayrshire coast), England, France and Italy.
In 1973 he began a series of around 40 large figure compositions of nudes, oil on canvas. Other works included still lives.
Fyffe Christie died on the 6th March 1979, the same year in which he and Eleanor held a joint show locally at Woodlands Art Gallery.
Posthumous shows included:
Exhibition of Drawings at the Glasgow School of Art.
Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow, 1988.
Fairhurst Gallery, Fulham, London, 1988.
'Children & Childhood' Exhibition, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 1989.
Exhibition of his schoolchildren drawings was held at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, 1991.
Exhibition, Blackheath Concert Halls.
Exhibition, Norwich.
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, d. 6 March 1979) British figurative artist and mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
painter.
Early years
Fyffe Christie was born and spent his earliest years in Hertfordshire in England. His mother Ethel was English but his father was a Scot, commercial artist George Fyffe Christie, and he is often viewed as a Scottish or Anglo-Scottish artist. After the death of his mother in 1930 he returned to Glasgow, Scotland were his father had some success with his creation of a popular sketch character 'Scottikins' in the local Bulletin newspaper. Fyffe Christie suffered from severe dyslexiaDyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
and was unable to read until the age of twelve. He showed an early interest in drawing and painting, as well as in music, playing the bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
. Father George Christie's income remained uncertain however and because of this he sent his son Fyffe to work in the more secure legal profession. After two years Fyffe left the lawyers office he worked in and began an apprenticeship as a lithographic draughtsman but this too proved unsatisfactory.
World War Two
On the outset of The Second World War Fyffe Christie joined the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a bagpiper (pipers also traditionally serving as stretcher bearers in the field), attending a course at the Army School of Piping in Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
. He was then posted to the 9th battalion the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The battalion was in continuous action after D-Day, 6 June 1944 and suffered heavy casualties as they fought for eleven months from Normandy into Northern Germany.
During rest periods Christie began to sketch the scenes and landscapes around him in ink and watercolours (he was ambidextrous and drew with both hands). Many of these sketches are now held in the Regimental Museum in Edinburgh, the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London and the Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. Many of the Glasgow men he served with could not read and, having overcome his childhood dyslexia, Christie often helped his comrades by reading their letters from home and writing their replies for them. He spoke little of his wartime experiences but it was during the war that he resolved that he would become an artist.
Glasgow School of Art
Christie attended the Glasgow School of ArtGlasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
from 1946 to 1951 studying mural painting under Walter Pritchard. Pritchard was a respected figure in mural painting and Christie worked with him in the painting of a large mural for St. Francis-in-the-East, at Bridgeton in Glasgow. He won the Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
in 1950 for the most distinguished student of his year. In 1951 he took a postgraduate's study year and a six month travelling scholarship to France, Germany and Italy. He had also begun teaching evening classes at the School of Art and there met his wife, student Eleanor Munro, the couple marrying on Fyffe's return to Scotland in 1952.
Mural - Christ Feeding the People
In the post-diploma year of 1950-1 Christie executed his first major commission, the muralMural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
of Christ Feeding the People for the Iona Community
Iona Community
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church....
. The work was commissioned by the charismatic founder and leader of the community the Reverend George MacLeod
George MacLeod
George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, MC was a Scottish soldier and clergyman; he was one of the best known, most influential and unconventional Church of Scotland ministers of the 20th century. He was the founder of the Iona Community.-Early life:He was born in Glasgow in 1895...
who had been responsible for the reconstruction of the Abbey on the Island of Iona off Scotland's west coast. The mural was painted on the walls of the community centre canteen on Clyde Street, Glasgow which was open to the public as a cafe and served as a soup kitchen for the homeless. Christie depicted the huge scene of an interior with ordinary folk, men returning from work and women baking and bathing children, while at the centre Jesus serves to a table of people begging to be fed. The portrayal of ordinary folk would seem to lend dignity to their humble work and domestic life, while their depiction in contemporary working dress and the inclusion of Glasgow's Clyde Street in the scene which can be seen through the doors and windows of the mural might also be considered to have brought a sense of immediacy and relevance to the work. Shortly after completion of the work the newspaper The Glasgow Herald ran an article on mural art in Scotland and the work of the muralists Walter Pritchard, William Crosbie
William Crosbie
William Crosbie is a Canadian diplomat. He is the current ambassador to Afghanistan, appointed June 15, 2009. Crosbie graduated from Memorial University in 1978 with a BA in political science and in history. He is also a graduate of Dalhousie University in 1982 with a LLB.-Reference:...
and Christie. The 'powerful simplicity' of Christie's Iona Community mural was praised. Christie preferred to paint directly onto the wall but the Iona Community specified that the commission was completed on panels. Fortunately this allowed the work to be saved following the closure of the centre. After disappearing for several years the work was rediscovered and put on exhibition at the Glasgow Museum of Religious Art. Despite enthusiastic coverage in The Scotsman and Herald newspapers the work was sold by a private dealer to an unknown buyer in England in 1998.
Murals
Other murals executed by Christie include:Glasgow College of Piping, Glasgow.
Crossmyloof Ice Rink, Glasgow (demolished).
The James Bridie Memorial Room, Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885....
. Mural based on the song West End Perk by James Bridie
James Bridie
James Bridie was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and surgeon whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor....
the playwright and poet. The work was originally sited near the entrance to the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow before being purchased by the James Bridie Trust for the Memorial Room.
Children's Games, 1955, Hillhead Primary School, Glasgow. Four or five panels each approximately 4 ft. X 5 ft
A Modern Pilgrim's Progress Little Ilford Baptist tabernacle, Stamford Rivers, England.
The Seasons (circa 1970),Bromley Hospital, England (relocated to the Canada Wing of the Orpington Hospital).
Teaching in England
Fyffe and Eleanor Christie worked as art teachers in Glasgow (Eleanor studying sculpture) until 1957 when they left for better job prospects in England. Christie taught at the Gurney School for Disadvantaged Children in Ilford before moving to the Park Modern School (later the Barking Abbey School) were he taught until retirement. The couple lived in the Ilford suburb of Seven Kings before moving to a smaller flat in Blackheath. During his career at the school he produced around 200 drawings of his pupils mostly executed between 1964 and 1974. A solo exhibition was held at Foley's Gallery in Charing Cross Road in London in 1958 which attracted favourable reviews in the Glasgow Herald. Christie was not however a self-publicist and the ascendancy of abstract art in the latter 20th century led to increasingly fewer commissions for figurative artists such as Christie.Christie was also a landscape painter, painting with his wife Eleanor on holidays in Scotland (particularly the Ayrshire coast), England, France and Italy.
In 1973 he began a series of around 40 large figure compositions of nudes, oil on canvas. Other works included still lives.
Fyffe Christie died on the 6th March 1979, the same year in which he and Eleanor held a joint show locally at Woodlands Art Gallery.
Other works
The Lady of Shallot, 1957, draught screen on four panels each 4 ft X 2 ft, oil on hardboardPosthumous shows included:
Exhibition of Drawings at the Glasgow School of Art.
Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow, 1988.
Fairhurst Gallery, Fulham, London, 1988.
'Children & Childhood' Exhibition, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 1989.
Exhibition of his schoolchildren drawings was held at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, 1991.
Exhibition, Blackheath Concert Halls.
Exhibition, Norwich.