Sculptor William Turnbull dies aged 90

 
17 November 2012

One of Britain's most highly regarded modern sculptors has died at the age of 90.

Scots-born William Turnbull was a key figure in the post-war artworld and his works feature in galleries across the globe.

Turnbull, the son of a Dundee shipyard engineer, was also widely recognised for his paintings and drawings.

His artistic career began in his teens painting film posters and he went on to work in the illustration department at publishers DC Thomson.

The young artist's aspirations were put on hold when he was drafted into the Armed Forces in 1941 and served in Canada, India and Sri Lanka as an RAF pilot.

When the war ended he was accepted into the painting department at the Slade School of Fine Art in London before moving to Paris in 1948 where he was introduced to artists Fernand Leger, Alberto Giacometti and Constantine Brancusi.

His first major exhibition was at London's Hanover Gallery with Eduardo Paolozzi, and Turnbull went on to become a member of the Independent Group of artists who met at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

His work has been the subject of several exhibitions throughout the decades, notably at Tate Britain and the National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore.

The Chatsworth House Trust is to present a major exhibition of his work next spring.

Public relations firm Bolton & Quinn are involved in the exhibition and confirmed Turnbull's death on Thursday.

He is survived by his sons Alex and Johnny by his late wife, Singapore artist Kim Lim.

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