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1941 - , born, Rackheath, Norwich - draughtsman, printmaker, sculptor
and painter. He studied first at Norwich Art School. In 1961 he entered
the Slade School of Fine Arts in London. In 1965, Self introduced a new
range of subjects as a result of a trip to the United States. One group
of drawings made that year, the Fall-out Shelter series, continued the
theme of imminent nuclear destruction. Others featuring apparently
innocuous motifs from contemporary life and consumer society, again
conveyed an unexpected atmosphere of violence and sexual threat. His
intention was to produce a detailed record of his society which, in the
event of its destruction, would convey its essential qualities to anyone
coming across his work in the future. Deeply suspicious of the
commercial art world, in 1965 Self returned permanently to Norwich. Both
his subject matter and his repertoire of techniques continued to expand,
taking in atmospheric Norfolk landscapes, still-lifes and quirky
observations of human behaviour. In 1995 the Tate Gallery in London
presented a display of their entire holdings of his work, including an
important group of drawings, sculptures, paintings and prints acquired
in the preceding years directly from the artist. |