Biography

Biography

Early Influences:

  • Post war Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire.
  • Derelict buildings.
  • Bomb sites.
  • Shipbuilding & Heavy Engineering.
  • Giant cranes.
  • Steel Smelting, slag banks.
  • Docks, scrap-yards, store-yards.
  • Steam trains, railway lines.
  • Hornby – Dublo model trains.
  • Meccano construction kits.
  • Motorcycle mechanics.
  • The Lake District mountains.
  • Natural History.
  • Coastline and Island.
  • Morecambe Bay, Duddon Estuary.

Education:

  • Barrow Grammar School. Art, Biology, Geography, Physics, Maths, English Language, English Literature.
  • Lancaster College of Art. Diploma Course in Art & Design.
  • Cardiff College of Art. Fine Art Sculpture.
  • Leeds Polytechnic. Post Graduate Certificate in Education

Later Influences:

  • Human interaction with sculptures.
  • Organic form and structure.
  • Industrial structures.
  • Saturn V rocket launches.
  • Light, clouds and weather.
  • Cycles of erosion and rebuilding.
  • Scuba diving.
  • Human physiology.
  • Marine sciences.
  • Relationship between Art & Science.
  • Geological time and process.
  • Biology and evolution.

Employment (lecturer):

  • Lancaster College of Art. Foundation Course in Art & Design, Drawing for Ceramics & Textile students, Adult Education.
  • Preston Polytechnic. Foundation Course (3D work)
  • University of Central Lancashire. Year 0 Art & Design (3D work)

Exhibitions:

1969 ‘The Observer Looks at Wales Today’, Simpsons, Piccadilly.

1969 ‘Play Orbit’, ICA Gallery, London.

1969 Royal National Eisteddfod, Flint.

1970 ‘Eight of Cardiff’, Arts Council Gallery, Cardiff.

1970 ‘Insea World Congress of Art Education’, Coventry.

1970 Exhibition of Prints, Colchester College of Art.

1971 “The Adolescent Mind’, Royal Academy.

1971 Tupperware World Congress, Malta.

1972 Sculpture Competition, Lancaster University.

1973 Civic Sculpture Competition, Blackburn.

1974 Staff Group Exhibition, Lancaster.

1976 Staff Group exhibition, Preston.

1979 ‘Into Abstraction’, Preston.

1980 Two Man Show, Vernon Gallery, Preston.

1981 Sculpture Competition, North West Arts.

1995 – 2001  “Listening Voices”, Photo-works. Uclan PR1 Gallery; Fleetwood Museum; Central Library, Liverpool; Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport; Port Erin arts Centre, Isle of Man; Wrexham Arts Centre; Bolton Museum and Art Gallery; Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow; Scottish Natural Heritage battleby Centre, Redgorten.

1998 – 2003  “Intimate Views”, Group Underwater Photography. Kendal Museum; Harrington Bldg, Uclan, Preston; Barrow Dock Museum; Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbighshire; Cliffe Castle, Keighley; Blackpool & Fylde College; Lake District Visitors Centre, Brockholes; Lancaster Maritime Museum; Lakeland marine Aquarium, Maryport; Stranraer Museum; Tullie House Gallery, Carlisle; Helena Thompson Museum, Workington; Blue Planet Aquarium,Ellesmere Port.

2001   –   “Searching for Mermaids”, Photo-works. Group Exhibition, Storey Art Gallery, Lancaster.

2006   –   “Soft Tissue”, Photo–works. Group exhibition, UCLAN Victoria Gallery.

2009   –   “Boundaries”, Photo-works, Group exhibition, PAD Gallery, Preston.

2011   –   “Retrospective”, Assorted works and website, Uclan, Preston.

Illustrated Talks:  

From 1996 – Various exhibition venues and groups including –

  • Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston.
  • Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow.
  • Scottish Nature Photography Fair, Redgorton, Perth.
  • Lancaster Maritime Museum.
  • Fleetwood Maritime Museum.
  • British Society of Underwater Photographers (Northern).
  • Blue Planet Sea Life Centre, Ellesmere Port.

Gordon Fletcher