Anthony Whishaw RA Kickstarter Campaign - Now Live

A slow artist for a fast moving world:

Stalwart Kensington artist to celebrate his 90th year with a new book and kickstarter campaign, starting this week.

Distinguished Kensington artist, Anthony Whishaw RA, will reach his 90th year in 2020 and is celebrating with a new book of his work, crowd funded through a kickstarter campaign beginning this week, and followed by an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in February.

One of the original artists of the Kensington and Chelsea art scene during the 1950s and 60s - once a hotbed for London creativity we’ve launched a kickstarter campaign to fund his new book. Bringing together rarely seen drawings and works on paper from his 70-year career, the book celebrates the work of one of London’s finest draughtsman.

Whishaw’s work is marked by a rare ability to shift effortlessly between abstract and figurative works, yet the sheer variety of themes depicted makes the artist’s work difficult to attribute to any specific movement or style.

70 Years working in Kensington

For over 70 years, Whishaw has lived and worked in the same home and studio, based in the heart of Kensington, West London. Purchased in 1957 (when the property was still affordable) with his wife and fellow artist, Jean Gibson, the couple raised two daughters, Zoe and Phoebe, in the property; in this respect, they championed the idea of ‘live-work spaces’ long before the idea became the trendy concept it is today.

Whilst rising property prices during the 1960s forced many of the city’s artists to flee West London, Whishaw stayed, quietly continuing his work. He is now one of the few artists from the original scene still in residence in the Royal Borough.

Recognition from the 1960s onwards

Whishaw studied at the prestigious Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art in the mid 1950s. In 1960, recognition came when the young artist was featured on the pioneering BBC television arts programme Monitor, featuring rising stars of the day such as Melvin Bragg, John Berger and Ken Russell.

Over a 70-year period, Whishaw has exhibited throughout the UK and internationally. Among other achievements, some of his most significant career highlights include being elected as a Royal Academician in 1980 - one of the highest accolades for any living artist - and a major exhibition in 1994 at The Barbican Centre.

A slow artist for a fast moving world

Whishaw epitomises our idea of a quiet artist working in his studio day in, day out, completely undistracted; he has been known to work on drawings and paintings for decades.

In a world where art grabs headlines and the likes of Grayson Perry, Banksy and Tracy Emin have become as much celebrities as they are artists, Anthony Whishaw is an increasingly rare kind of artist.

His new book ‘Works on Paper’ covers many aspects of the artist’s life: from his early figurative works and landscapes influenced by his time in Spain, to his abstract interiors and observations of nature. Written by author Richard Davey and published by Beam Editions, the book will be the first time many of these works have been seen.

Jonathan Casciani, Director of Beam Editions, says ‘Whishaw is a rare talent and one of the few remaining of a generation. His slow and highly-studied approach to his work is an antidote to a fast moving world. He is one of Britain’s great talents. This artist deserves greater recognition’.

To purchase the new book in advance, visit the kickstarter campaign page below:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beameditions/1344667750?ref=dtqewf&token=41312af3

To learn more about the artist:

https://www.anthonywhishaw.com/