Biography
1946 | Born High Wycombe |
1962-66 | High Wycombe School of Art |
1966-69 | Camberwell School of Art |
1968 | Rotary Travelling Prize to Florence and Rome |
1968 | Lord Carron Prize |
1969 | Six Young Artists - Greenwich Theatre Gallery 1969 |
1969-71 | Slade School of Fine Art |
1971-74 | Visited Jack Tworkov in New York |
1972 | Boise Travelling Scholarship to USA and Mexico |
1973 | Starts practising Tai Chi |
1985 | Visited Willem de Kooning in East Hampton, NY |
1989 | Founds Wu’s Tai Chi Chuan Academy, Bethnal Green, London |
1998-2003 | Visiting Artist, Montmiral School of Painting, France |
2005 | Artist in Residence, Vindrac-Alayrac, France |
Teaching and Lecturing |
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1971-96 | Visiting Lecturer at Chelsea School of Art, Slade School of Fine Art, Bath Academy of Art, Newcastle University and Manchester School of Art |
1971-88 | Portsmouth Polytechnic |
1972-93 | Camberwell School of Art |
1975-97 | St. Martin’s School of Art |
1994-95 | Slade School of Fine Art |
1995-96 | Tate Education: de Kooning, Cézanne, Pollock |
1999 | Classic Cézanne, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia, Masterclass Drawing Week |
2001 | Cézanne Lecture at Newcastle University |
2004 | Drawing Marathon at New York Studio School |
2004-08 | Drawathon 12 at Vyner Street studio |
2009 | Drawathon 13 Marles Stud Studio, Epping |
2011-14 | Drawathon 14, 15, 16. At Marles Stud Studio Epping. |
2013,14,15,16 & 17 | Seawhites School of Art |
November 2018 & 2019 | Seawhites School of Art |
Solo Exhibitions |
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1976 & 1979 | Acme Gallery, London |
1978 | Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery |
1979 | Peterloo Gallery, Manchester |
1982, 1984 & 1986 | Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London |
1983 | Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry |
1984 | Castlefield Gallery, Manchester |
1989 | Jean Wainwright, Chiswick, London Studio Show, Hackney, London |
1989-94 | Studio Shows, Parsifal Road, West Hampstead, London |
1990 | Goldsmiths Gallery, London |
1991 | Gallery 10, Grosvenor Street, London |
1996 | Works on Paper, Gallery M, Flowers East, London |
1997 | Flowers East, London |
1999 | King St Gallery, Sydney |
2000 | The Quiet Paintings, Flowers East, London |
2003 | Flowers Central, London Studio Show, Vyner Street, London |
2006 | Burgh House, Hampstead, London |
2008 | Flowers East, London Mason’s Yard Gallery, London |
2010 | Early Works 1968-69, Alan Wheatley Art, London |
2012 | Spontaneity of Movements, Alan Wheatley Art, London |
2014 | Constant Within The Change, Clifford Chance, London Constant Within The Change, Alan Wheatley Art, London |
2017 | Still Soaring at 70, Paisnel Gallery, St James, London |
2019 | Solo Retrospective, Motion & Stillness 1963-2018. June/July Lanchester Research Gallery, Graham Sutherland Building, Cox St, Coventry |
Group Exhibitions |
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1969 | Play Orbit, ICA, London |
1971 | Platform ‘71, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford Young Contemporaries, Royal Academy of Arts, London Recent Work by Younger British Painters from the Collection of W J Carey, Eugene McDermott Gallery, Dallas, Texas |
1972 | Drawing, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford |
1974 | British Painting 1974, Hayward Gallery, London |
1975 & 1976 | Vera Russell’s Artists’ Market, Covent Garden, London |
1977 | British Painting 1952-77, Royal Academy of Arts, London |
1978 | Some Recent Acquisitions from The Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery, London Notices by Dick Lee, Camden Arts Centre, London |
1978, 1980, 1982, 1987-98, 2001, 2004 & 2009-11 | Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London |
1978, 1987, 1989, 1991 | London Group, Royal College of Art, London |
1979 | The First Exhibition, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London |
1979 & 1982 | Hayward Annual, Hayward Gallery, London |
1980 | Jennifer Durrant & Gary Wragg, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London 3 British Artists, Studio Marconi, Milan 7 New British Artists, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, New York |
1981 | Artists For Nuclear Disarmament, Acme Gallery, London |
1981-1983 &1987 | Summer Exhibition, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London |
1982 | Sydney Biennial, Australia A Taste of British Art Today, Contemporary Arts Society, Brussels Contemporary Choice, Serpentine Gallery, London The London Suite ‘82, Anne Berthoud Gallery, London |
1983 | 53-83: Three Decades of Artists from Inner London Art Schools, Royal Academy of Arts, London Painting 1983: Work by 7 Artists, Warwick Arts Centre |
1984 | English Expressionism, Warwick Arts Centre T.S.W.A. Touring Exhibition, Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn & Penwith Galleries, St Ives, to Camden Art Centre, 1985 Painters at Winchester, Winchester Gallery Exhibition in Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Trier, Germany Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa |
1985 | 30 London Painters, Royal Academy of Arts, London |
1985 & 1988 | Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London |
1986 | John Carter, Jennifer Durrant, Anthony Whishaw and Gary Wragg, University of Surrey, Guildford |
1987 | Retrospective, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester Read Gallery, Texas |
1989 | The Day Book, Usher Gallery, Lincoln |
1989-1991 | Lynn Stern Associates, London |
1991 & 2001 | The John Moores Painting Prize, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool London Group, Works on Paper, The Economist Building, London Mutual Aims, South London Art Gallery |
1992 &93 | London Group, Barbican Concourse Gallery, London |
1993 | Drawing Towards Sculpture, ISIS Gallery, Essex |
1993 &94 | London Group, Morley Gallery, London |
1993 &1994 | London Group, London Institute Gallery |
1994 | British Abstract Art Part 1: Painting, Flowers East, London |
1995 | A Dialogue with de Kooning, Royal College of Art, London Absolut Secret, Royal College of Art, London London Group Biennial Exhibition, Barbican, London |
1996 | British Abstract Art Part 3: Works On Paper, Flowers East, London Gallery 7, Toronto Lethaby Gallery, London Figuring Cézanne, (The Tate Gallery Project), Lethaby Gallery, London |
1997 | Angela Flowers Gallery 1997, Flowers East, London Light & Splendour, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth New Abstract Painting, Riverside Studios, London Frankfurt Art Fair, Flowers Gallery, Germany |
1998 | Small is Beautiful: Music, Flowers East, London |
1999 | Engaging with Pollock, Lethaby Gallery, London Ten New Abstract Paintings, Flowers East, London ’45-’99: A Personal View of British Painting & Sculpture by Bryan Robertson, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge Small is Beautiful Millennium, Flowers East, London Small is Beautiful: Abstracts, Flowers West, Santa Monica, California Five by Twenty, Kingston University touring to Oldenburg, Germany |
2000 | Angela Flowers Gallery 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Flowers East, London Flowers West, Santa Monica, California Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London Flowers Three, Flowers Central, London Small is Beautiful:Self Portrait, Flowers East, London |
2001 | British Abstract Painting, Flowers East, London Flowers Three, Flowers Central, London Small is Beautiful, Self Portraits, Flowers East, London Five by Twenty, Oldenburg, Germany and Laoyala University, New Orleans Art Crazy Nation (Curated by M. Collings), Milton Keynes Gallery |
2002 | East 2, Flowers East, London Art of the 20th Century, New York John Moores Exhibition, Liverpool Small Is Beautiful, Flowers East, London |
2003 | Small is Beautiful, Flowers Central, London New British Art 1, Flowers, New York |
2004 | Wragg and McLean, Vinopolis, London Little Venice Artists, Little Venice Gallery, London Small is Beautiful: Here and Now, Flowers Central, London Studio Show, Vyner Street, London |
2005 | 35th Anniversary Exhibition, Flowers East, London Royal Academy Summer Prints Show, London Arts Unwrapped 2005, Vyner Street Studio Show, London East into West, Alma Enterprise, London East into West, Wine Gallery, London Small is Beautiful, Flowers Central, London |
2006 | Circus, Empire Gallery, London Gallery Artists, Flowers East, London Small is Beautiful, Flowers Central, London Studio Show, Vyner St, London |
2007 | Chicago Art Fair, USA 25 Years of Post-War British Art 1951-1975, Paisnel Gallery, London Scratching the Surface, Eton Gallery, Eton Toronto Art Fair Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, New York |
2008 | Four Abstract Artists, Flowers Central, London Paisnel Gallery, London Meta, Ruskin Gallery, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge Small is Beautiful, Flowers on Madison, New York |
2009 | Flowers Central, (Lower Gallery), London Paisnel Gallery, London Alan Wheatley Art, London Flowers Central, (Upper Gallery), London London Group, The Menier Gallery Small is Beautiful, Flowers East, London |
2010 | London Group, The Cello Factory 40 Years Anniversary, Flowers East New to Sight, Poussin Gallery, London Scratching the Surface, BayArt Gallery, Cardiff Alan Wheatley Art, London Modern Masters, Alan Wheatley Art, London The Art of Giving, Saatchi Gallery, London |
2011 | Alan Wheatley Art, London Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London |
2012 | 100 Prints, Flowers East, London Alan Wheatley Art, London Abstract Critical Newcomer Awards (selector), Kings Place, London Art, Lloyds Club, London Small is Beautiful, Flowers, London New Possibilities: Abstract Paintings from the Seventies, The Piper Gallery, London The London Suite II, Advanced Graphics, London |
2013 | Alan Wheatley Art, London Art Fair, Islington, London Alan Wheatley Art, 20/21 International Art Fair, Royal College of Art, London Small is Beautiful: Who is Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?, Flowers East, London ISPDA Print Fair, Park Avenue Armory, New York London Original Print Fair, Royal Academy, London |
2014 | I Cheer A Dead Man’s Sweetheart: 21 Painters in Britain, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea, UK Art 14, Olympia, London The Social Basis Of Abstract Art, Up Down Gallery, Ramsgate. Small is Beautiful. Flowers Gallery, New York. |
2015 | PlusSpace Container Gallery SE 9 25U March 2015 |
2015 | Stockwell Depot 1967-79 Greenwich University Galleries, London July 24-September 12th 2015 |
2015,16 &17 | "Small is Beautiful" Flowers Gallery, Cork St London |
2017 | Christmas Show, Paisnel Gallery, St James London |
2018 | Abstract – Figurative, Belgrave Gallery St Ives |
2019 | St Ives - Modern - British - Contemporary The Nine British Art May 2019 |
2019 | The Lindon Hall Gallery Deal May 2019 |
2019 | THREE WORKS X NINE ARTISTS The Nine Gallery British Art July 2019 |
2019 | British Art Fair, Islington, London. St Ives, Modern English Contemporary, THE NINE Gallery, 9, Bury St St James, London. |
2020 | The London Art Fair Islington Design Centre January 2020 |
2022 | Celebration, British Abstract Painting. Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate. |
2023 | British Art Fair, Islington, London. St Ives, Modern English Contemporary, THE NINE Gallery, 9, Bury St St James, London. “Gaze Left”, Re-Hang, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. |
2024 | “Gaze Left”, Re-Hang, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Celebration of 40 Years of the Future: Castlefield Gallery, Anniversary. Manchester. The Nine, Pall Mall Opening Exhibition. |
Selected Bibliography |
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1973 | John Russell, ‘Artists’ Market’, The Sunday Times |
1976 | Peter Rippon, ‘Gary Wragg’, Artscribe, November Marina Vaizey, ‘Gary Wragg’, The Sunday Times |
1977 | Bryan Robertson, ‘British Painting 1952-77’, Harpers & Queen John McLean, ‘British Painting 1952-77’, The Guardian |
1978 | Rippon, ‘Notes on New Abstract Painting’, Artscribe, no. 10, Jan Terence Maloon ‘London Group’, Time Out, 7 April Maloon, ‘Gary Wragg at the Newcastle Polytechnic’, Artscribe, no.11 ‘Summer Exhibition Royal Academy’, Time Out, 16 June John McEwen, ‘Rarities’, The Spectator, 26 August Art Monthly |
1979 | Robertson, ‘Gary Wragg at Acme Gallery’, Harpers & Queen, February John Spurling, ‘Gary Wragg at Acme Gallery’, New Statesman, 9 February William Feaver, ‘Gary Wragg at Acme Gallery’, Observer, 11 February James Faure-Walker, ‘Fertile Forms’, Artscribe, no. 16 Marina Vaizey, ‘Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy’, Arts Review, v XXXI, 8 June Feaver, ‘Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy’, Observer, May 20 Charlotte Parry-Crooke, Contemporary British Artists with Photographs by Walia, Bergstrom and Boyle Books |
1980 | Edward Lucie Smith, ‘Hayward Annual’, The Evening Standard Peter Fuller, ‘Hayward Annual’, Artforum ‘Seven New British Artists’, The Guardian, 25 February Vaizey, ‘Pictures We Deserve’, The Sunday Times, 18 May |
1981 | Mary-Rose Beaumont, ‘Summer Exhibition: Nicola Jacobs Gallery’, Arts Review, August |
1982 | Waldemar Januszczak, ‘Gary Wragg’, The Guardian, 19 May Januszczak, ‘Summer Exhibition’, The Guardian |
1983 | Monica Petzel, ‘Younger British Artists’, Time Out, December ‘Gary Wragg’, Artscribe, December |
1984 | Sarah Kent, ‘Gary Wragg, Nicola Jacobs Gallery’, Time Out, February Januszczak, The Guardian, February Januszczak ,‘English Expressionism’, The Guardian, May Leonard Lee, ‘Gary Wragg Interviewed’, Artscribe, May |
1987 | Artscribe Art Monthly |
1988 | The Guardian |
1989 | Art Review, March |
1991 | Matthew Collings, City Limits, December |
1996 | Andrew Graham-Dixon, The Independent, June, High & Ham, June |
1997 | Tim Hilton, The Guardian |
1999 | Sebastian Smee, The Sydney Herald John McEwen, The Sunday Telegraph Karen Wright, Modern Painters, Summer The Abstraction Newsletter |
2000 | Emma Biggs, Modern Painters Joanna Hayman-Bolt, Artsnewroom.com |
2001 | Fisun Guner, The Metro |
2002 | Collings, Art Crazy Nation, 21 Publishing Amber Cowans, ‘Five Best Shows Nationwide’, The Times Adrian Searle, ‘John Moores awards’, The Guardian, October |
2003 | Collings, Modern Painters, Summer Luke David, Ham & High |
2004 | Country Life, 4 June ‘Saint Barthelemy, French West Indies’, Discover, Issue 9 |
2007 | Collings, ‘Painterly Painting’, Saatchi Online Magazine, August |
2008 | Sue Hubbard, ‘Small is Beautiful XXVI’, The Independent, December Collings, ‘On the Meaning of Paintings’, Modern Painters |
2012 | Nowyczas Wojciech A. Solczynski, New Time Nicholas Usherwood, Galleries |
2014 | Nicholas Usherwood, Galleries |
Dan C00mbs, Abstract Critical | |
Mark Sheerin, Visual Arts | |
Galleries Book Review, Constant Within The Change | |
Ben Wiedel – Kaufmann, Modernism Without Irony: Hyperallergic NY | |
Nicholas Usherwood, Galleries | |
2017 | John Bunker AB Critical |
Chelsea Artists & Illustrators |
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2023 | Guardian, Culture, Jo Lawson – Tancred. |
Writings by Wragg |
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1982 | ‘Brief Reflections on Six Recent Paintings’, The Fine Art Letter |
2012 | ‘Joan Mitchell, The Last Paintings, A Tribute’, www.abstractcritical.com ‘Turner, Monet, Twombly: Later Paintings, Tate Liverpool’, www.abstractcritical.com |