Kenneth Armitage
b.1916 (BAA 1946-56)


Born in Leeds. 1934-37 Leeds College of Art, 1937-39
studied sculpture Slade School of Art. 1939-46 served army,
training soldiers to identify shapes of aircraft and tanks.
1946 set up Sculpture Department, BAA, taught 2-3 days a
week, having taught previous two terms In Bath. The Bath
Stone quarries had attracted him to the area hut he only
carved a couple of pieces (whereabouts unknown) before
abandoning carving. On seeing Clifton Suspension Bridge
became interested in structure for fIrst time. Had use of hut
in garden of Rose Cottage. Priory Street, Corsham belonging
to a Miss Spackman.*
‘When I rented it from her she kept furniture at one end
which I hid from view by having 2 or 3 folding screens
made (wood frames with corrugated paper). Like the aircraft
which I massively studied throughout the War which
influenced my later work without my being aware of it at
the time, so these screens immediately resulted in flat
screen-like groups with short spindly legs, the latter
resembling the ‘piloti’ characteristic of modern architecture
in the years following the War - . . ‘People in a Wind’
occured, of course, at the same time. The long necks of this
piece came from daily watching the long stalks of a plant at
this studio door — and also watching rockets at a firework
display at the Architectural Association Summer School,
held at Corsham just then, which was an exciting experience
for me. Also, actually seeing people, walking, leaning against
the wind - . .** (This piece was exhibited at the Venice
Biennale in 1952, bought by Peggy Guggenheim). 1952 one-
man show Gimpel Fils. 1953-55 Gregory Fellow in
Sculpture, continued to teach on visits to Corsham, (William
Turnbull taught sculpture briefly in 1953 and Bernard
Meadows joined department until 1957; he and Armitage
built bronze foundry). 1954 one-man exhibition Bertha
Schaefer, New York. 1956 gave up teaching at Corsham.
Studio Notting Hill 1956/57. 1958 exhibited at the Venice
Biennale (as did William Scott), won David E. Bright award
for best sculptor under 45; Krefeld War Memorial, first prize