Bryan Kneale
b. 1930
Bryan Kneale is a British sculptor working primarily in metal and concentrating on the ways separate forms are joined and combined; often creating emphasis on organic structures, such as animal skeletons. He is also interested in the abstraction and re-configuration of forms, often creating spun steel domes and realigning metallic structures.
Kneale was born in 1930 in Douglas, Isle of Mann and studied at the Douglas School of Art before attending the Royal Academy Schools in London. In 1948, he was the recipient of the Rome Prize and travelled to Italy, where he was influenced by the works of the Futurists and metaphysical painting movement. Upon his return to the UK in 1951, he began a series of paintings using palette knives as a means of ‘constructing’ with paint. However, in 1960, he began learning welding techniques and held his first exhibition of sculptural works.
His work has been exhibited across the UK and internationally. He had a solo exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery (1978) and has been included in group exhibitions at the Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Gallery, Hayward Gallery and the Royal Academy. His work is also represented in public collections such as the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Contemporary Art Society, and the Museum of Modern Art New York. Alongside exhibiting his work he has held teaching positions at Hornsey College of Art and Design, The Royal Academy Schools and the Royal College of Art.
Bryan Kneale
