William Gear (1915 -1997) | Scottish Abstract Artist

An Abstract Expressionist painter, often associated with the CoBrA group of artists.

Scottish artist William Gear was a true pioneer in developing his post war modern abstract painting approach and one of the few artists to break through and be appreciated in wider European artistic community.

Gear was born into a mining family in Methil, Fife in 1915, son of Janet & Porteous Gear. After winning the Dux Art Medal in 1932 at High School, Gear went onto Edinburgh College of Art studying with fellow students Margaret Mellis and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.

He first Exhibited with the RSA in 1934 and on his scholarship travels in 1937-39, Gear studied and stayed with Fernand Leger in Paris.

During World War II, William Gear joined military service traveling extensively in the Middle East but in 1944 held his first solo exhibitions in Siena and Florence. Staying in Europe, between 1947 and 1950 Gear settled and worked in Paris meeting Eduardo Paolozzi, Alan Davie and Stephen Gilbert. (Gear & Gilbert were the only two British Artist included into the CoBrA* exhibition at Musee d’Art Modern, Paris in 1982).

1948 was a turning point when Gear exhibited in London & Paris and travelled to St Ives to visit Terry Frost, Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton, Peter Lanyon and Bryan Winter. A year later in 1949 he was included in the Avant Garde CoBrA shows in Amsterdam and Copenhagen with Constant, Corneille and Appel building his European friendships as well his reputation in the world of abstract expressionism.

In 1950 William Gear moved to England settling in Kent, between 1953 & 1958. He did not join artistic communities but maintain his artistic independence and principles. In 1964 he joined Birmingham College of Art as Head of Fine Art where he stayed until 1975 when he retired.

His relationship with CoBrA continued with shows throughout Europe in the 1980’s. in 1994 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of Central England and in 1995 William Gear attended the opening of the new CoBrA Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen (Nr Amsterdam).

In 1995 Gear was elected to the Royal Academy.

*CoBrA – Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam (The artists home cities. A group of artists who were influenced by a similar approach to abstract expressionism, primitivism and the art of children)

Sources: internet search