John Hoyland 1934-2011

Painter and printmaker, Hoyland was one of Britain's leading abstract painters. He trained at Sheffield College of Art, 1951-1956, and the Royal Academy, 1956-1960. His devotion to colour came later after summer school at Scarborough, 1957. Here he received tuition from Victor Pasmore, Tom Hudson and Harry Thubron.  

Hoyland took part in the Situation exhibitions of 1960-1961 with his first one-man exhibition held at the Marlborough Gallery, London, 1964, followed by regular exhibitions at Waddington Galleries. He had a major exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1967. Hoyland's visit to New York in 1964 on a Peter Stuyvesant bursary exposed him to American post-painterly abstraction and colour-field painting.

An influential teacher at Chelsea College of Art (where he was principal lecturer from 1965), St Martin’s School of Art, 1974-1977, Royal Academy Schools and Slade School of Fine Art, 1974-1989. He was artist in residence at the Studio School in New York and at the University, Melbourne, Australia, 1979. Elected a Royal Academician in 1991.

Hoyland has had retrospective exhibitions at the Serpentine Gallery, London, 1979 - 1980 and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1999. His work is held in major collections including the Tate and British Council and also in private collections worldwide.