Showing his work for the first time in 45 years

Lancing-based artist Melvyn Biddulph is showing his work for the first time in 45 years.
Melvyn BiddulphMelvyn Biddulph
Melvyn Biddulph

Spokeswoman Jude Evans said: “Shoreham’s Skyway Gallery presents an exhibition of work by Melvyn Biddulph, an artist who has kept his work hidden from the public since 1973. The show, called Back From The Dead… I Wish, brings together a variety of artworks that represent a life-time of creative activity by an artist who has refused to compromise his devotion to personal artistic freedom.

“Rochdale-born Melvyn studied painting at Saint Martin’s School of Art in the late 1960s when the college was gaining a reputation for its radical visual art practice. Abstract painter Gillian Ayres, was a senior lecturer at the college, and Sir Anthony Caro was a tutor in the sculpture de-partment.

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“Melvyn’s fellow students included artists who later became big names on the international art scene: Gilbert & George, Richard Long, Bill Woodrow and Adrian Frost, son of abstract artist Sir Terry Frost.

“After graduating in fine art in 1971, Melvyn took his creative talents in a new direction and enjoyed a long and successful career as a textile designer. But he never stopped making art: he pro-duced personal and private work that was inspired by his life experiences and retained freedom from commercial demands, art-world pigeon-holing and public criticism.

“Melvyn now lives in West Sussex and is a member of the Adur Art Collective. Despite reservations about showing his work for the first time in over 45 years, Melvyn welcomes the opportunity to have Skyway Gallery’s first solo exhibition.”

He said: “I realise that showing my art in a gallery will make it more difficult for me to retain my long-held freedom from public scrutiny. People will have opinions about what they see and, of course, are welcome to express them.”

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Back From The Dead… I Wish runs from May 5-25 at Skyway Gallery, Shoreham Centre, 2 Pond Road, Shoreham, BN43 5WU; skywaygallery.org.

For other stories by Phil, see: https://www.chichester.co.uk/author/Phil.Hewitt2

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