229:, soon developed a strongly colouristic, expressive quality, his largely landscape-inspired subjects of the 1960s and 1970s being treated in an increasingly semi-abstract manner. His influences drew on a wide range of sources – Pierre Bonnard, Peter Lanyon, John Hoyland and American abstract expressionists like Gorky and de Kooning among others. By the time he had his first solo show at the Arnolfini Gallery in 1968, he had however arrived at an intensely personal style of his own, one that began to attract notice from the London critics, Neville Wallis of
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richness and confidence and Balmer started putting his work into a wider variety of exhibitions. By the early 1990s, having given up his photographic business, he became involved in the Royal West of
England Academy affairs, in 1993 being elected to the Academy Council, then becoming Academicians' Chairman and President in 2001.
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in London at 17, he turned it down as his family could not afford the expense. Instead he became apprenticed to a photo-litho firm in
Bristol, working as a photographer. Art studies at the College continued via evening classes and at 21, he had a painting accepted for exhibition at the Royal West of
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A major retrospective of his work at the
Academy in 2007 entitled 'President's Eye' was accompanied by an almost yearly sequence of exhibitions at private galleries in the UK and Holland over the decade and in the years since his retirement from the presidency, he has been showing regularly at the
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During the 1970s, Balmer sought to make a success of his photographic business and support his young family, largely withdrawing from exhibiting his work other than at the Royal West of
England Academy where he had become an Associate member in 1955. By the 1980s, his work had gained in expressive
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He inaugurated a year-round exhibition programme with solo shows being given to artists as distinguished as
Richard Long, Bert Irvin, Gillian Ayres and Maurice Cockrill. New gallery spaces were opened, a Friends' organization set up and the institution's important collection of art was at last
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are celebrating their 250th anniversary with a major exhibition at the Royal West of
England Academy which includes a gallery full of his theatre photographs (a 27-year retrospective), closing at the end of January 2016.
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when he was admitted, aged 15 in 1950, to the West of
England College of Art, then situated within the Royal West of England Academy, an institution of which he was later to become president. Offered a place at the
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Despite the demands of his professional photographic career, Balmer continued to paint, travelling widely in
Southern Europe to look at painting, architecture and sculpture. His work, initially influenced by
188:. Balmer was appointed official photographer to the company in 1961, a position he held for the next 28 years. At the same time, he was invited to write art criticism for the
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151:(2001–10) to Chancellor Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss. He received an Honorary Doctorate (for Art) from the University of the West of England in 2001.
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properly conserved and curated. Balmer had seen the
Academy through a major shift in its affairs and he retired from the position in 2009.
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England
Academy where he has exhibited every year since. Group and solo shows followed at the Finbarrus Gallery in Bath (1958/9).
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2010: Group Exhibition, Browse and Darby, London, Critic's choice (Andrew Lambirth, The Spectator) and Summer Show
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2006: Group Exhibition, 'Discerning Eye' Mall Galleries, London. Invited Artist (Nicholas Usherwood)
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2007: Solo Exhibition, 'Presidents Eye' major retrospective, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
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489:"The Spectator magazine, The power and the glory: President's Eye - Royal West of England Academy"
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From James Belsey catalogue essay for 1992 show at Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, retrieved 15/11/2015
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among others, drew him into the active theatre scene in Bristol in the 60s that centred round the
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by Derek Balmer, Andrew Lambirth, ACH Smith – Samsom & Company 2012 (a memoir by the artist)
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143:(born 28 December 1934) is a British artist and photographer, Past President of the
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Balmer was born in London in 1934 although his professional art education began in
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1996, 1998, 2000: Solo Exhibition, Smelik and Stokking Gallery, The Hague, Holland
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2014: Group Exhibition, Hilton Fine Art, Bath Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden
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Balmer established himself as an independent photographer and friendships with
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2004: Group Exhibition, 'Western Approaches' Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden
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2005: Solo Exhibition, Six Chapel Row, Bath with Anthony Hepworth Fine Art
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2002: Solo Exhibition, Smelik and Stokking Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland
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Pro-Chancellor of the University of the West of England (2001 – 2010)
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469:"The Royal West of England Academy (RWA): Academician Derek Balmer"
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2003: Group Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, New Gallery
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524:"The Bath Contemporary gallery: Exhibiting artist Derek Balmer"
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predicting that "one day Balmer will set Bond Street on fire".
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mounting shows, Balmer found himself reviewing artists such as
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2016: 27 year Retrospective, The Theatre Royal/Bristol Old Vic
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1997, 2004: Solo Exhibition, Gisela van Beers Gallery, London
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President of the Royal West of England Academy (2001 – 2010)
504:"The Catto Gallery, London: Exhibiting artist Derek Balmer"
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Annually since 1956: Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
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Derek Balmer is married to Elizabeth and has two children.
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2005-10: Group Exhibition, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
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2005: Solo Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden
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2008: Solo Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden
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2011: Solo Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden
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220:Easter Painting 1979, 122 x 81cm Oil on Canvas
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304:2010: Joint Exhibition, Catto Gallery, London
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368:"UWE award honorary degree to RWA President"
334:2004: Group Exhibition, Six Chapel Row, Bath
298:2012: Solo Exhibition, Catto Gallery, London
292:2014: Solo Exhibition, Catto Gallery, London
424:"Catto Gallery: Artist Derek Balmer PPRWA"
409:Derek Balmer, Andrew Lambirth, ACH Smith,
387:Derek Balmer, Andrew Lambirth, ACH Smith,
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245:Catto Gallery, London. The Theatre Royal/
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281:Mérida 2015, 91 x 71cm Oil on canvas
147:(2001–10) and Pro-Chancellor of the
453:5 artworks by or after Derek Balmer
563:21st-century British photographers
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149:University of the West of England
267:Derek Balmer: A Singular Vision
16:British artist and photographer
391:Sansom & Company 2012 p147
79:West of England College of Art
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475:on 27 December 2015
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273:Recent exhibitions
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389:A Singular Vision
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548:1934 births
100:photography
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529:16 January
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354:References
155:Early life
56:1934-12-28
72:Education
95:Painting
161:Bristol
113:Elected
457:Art UK
212:Career
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