William Gear
Encyclopedia
William Gear was a painter
, born on 2 August 1915 in Methil in the south-east of Fife
, Scotland
. Born into a mining family, he studied at Edinburgh College of Art
before travelling to Paris
to study with Fernand Léger
.
Following the Second World War he worked with the Allied Control Commission
, with responsibility for securing art works. In 1949 he exhibited with the CoBrA
art group.
He was curator of the Towner Gallery
in Eastbourne
from 1958 to 1964, after which he became head of the Faculty of Fine Art at Birmingham College of Art
, a post from which he retired in 1975.
He died on 27 February 1997 in Birmingham
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, born on 2 August 1915 in Methil in the south-east of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Born into a mining family, he studied at Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
before travelling to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study with Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
.
Following the Second World War he worked with the Allied Control Commission
Allied Commission
Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far Eastern Advisory Commission to make recommendations...
, with responsibility for securing art works. In 1949 he exhibited with the CoBrA
COBRA (avant-garde movement)
COBRA was a European avant-garde movement active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home cities: Copenhagen , Brussels , Amsterdam .-History:...
art group.
He was curator of the Towner Gallery
Towner Gallery
Towner is Eastbourne's museum of art. Since it opened in 1923 the Towner Art Gallery was located in an 18th-century manor house in Manor Gardens, in the Old Town district of Eastbourne...
in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
from 1958 to 1964, after which he became head of the Faculty of Fine Art at Birmingham College of Art
Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design is the largest British university art and design teaching and research centre outside London. It is a faculty of Birmingham City University and the largest, most successful department of the university.-History:BIAD dates back, in various incarnations, to...
, a post from which he retired in 1975.
He died on 27 February 1997 in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.