21st August

Remembering Adrian Bartlett

morleycollegelondon

With great sadness we share news of the passing of former Morley College London Head of Art and Printmaking Adrian Bartlett.

Adrian Bartlett: March 1939 – July 2024

Adrian Bartlett started working at Morley College in 1962, when he took over teaching a Wood Engraving and Linocut class. He went on to become Head of Printmaking, and continued in this role for 39 years, retiring in 1999.

Adrian started teaching printmaking classes at Morley College, working with one small relief press, in the room now used for bookbinding and jewellery classes. The printmaking department was later developed into the studios in D block on King Edward Walk, becoming one of the most important and well-known printmaking studios in London.

Adrian had incredible knowledge as a printmaker and artist, and the department was known for the expertise of its’ tutors who included Magar Balakjian, Dorothea Wight, Frank Connelly and Richard Michell.

From 1979- 1989 Adrian also ran the Morley Gallery and was also Head of Art for several years.

Adrian studied at Camberwell School of Art, 1958-61 under Frank Auerbach. He was a visiting lecturer at Oxford University and Wimbledon School of Art and Chelsea school of Art for many years.

He was elected to the London Group, in 1979, and became its president in 1993. He served as chairman of the Printmakers’ Council 1976, became an honorary member of the Printmakers’ Council, 1993. Elected Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers 1997 (Hon. 2003 )

Adrian exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition since 1972. Represented the UK at the Florence International Print Biennale, 1976. First major solo exhibition at the British Council, Athens, 1985. Subsequent exhibitions include the Oxford Gallery, the Tsikalioti Museum, Greece, the Morley Gallery, the Walk Gallery, Piers Feetham Gallery, North House Gallery, Manningtree, and in group shows around the world.

Publication: Drawing and Painting the Landscape, Phaidon, 1982. Set up a printmaking workshop in Athens for Christies, Greece, 1984.

His work is held in the British Council collection, the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and in collections including:

Arts Council

British Council

St Paul’s Girls’ School

British Museum

St Thomas’s Hospital

Berlin Graphotek

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Dept. of Education and Science

Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry

Jiangsu Museum, China

McNay Institute, Texas

Merchants’ National Bank, Indianapolis

Municipal Art Gallery, Lodz

National Gallery of Australia

Oldham City Art Gallery

Royal Marsden Hospital

Surrey Education Authority

Tate Gallery

Towner Eastbourne

Victoria and Albert Museum

Reflection by Michelle Avison, Programme Manager, Printmaking and Bookbinding

I took over as Head of Department from Frank Connelly, appointed after Adrian retired. I am a real product of the department and of Morley College. I had tried to sign up for a class at the college in 1990, but all classes were full. Later Adrian telephoned to say that a space had become available in his class. He advised me on the portfolio of work that I used to apply for an MA in Printmaking at Wimbledon.

Afterwards, I came back to Morley College and started teaching in the department as a substitute tutor.

Adrian offered me the opportunity to start a class on Saturday mornings which I did, building another class in the afternoon as well. I later took over the regular Tuesday classes he had taught.

The ethos of the printmaking department under Adrian, Frank and those teachers, was of incredible professionalism, intent on developing skills by sharing knowledge and the understanding of the importance of printmaking in making art.

Adrian went on to become a close friend. He helped me become an artist and teacher by showing me how he had done it himself- and I hope that I have continued even a small part of what he started at Morley College.