Gregory Fellows in Painting

Martin Froy was a British abstract artist who painted figures, interiors and landscapes. Born in London he studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. Gregory Fellow between 1951-1954 a number of his paintings from this time were displayed in a joint exhibition with Lucien Freud in 1952. He later headed the Fine Art department at Bath Academy of Art and later professor of Fine Art at Reading University.

Terry Frost was an abstract artist who took up painting in his 30s after serving in World War Two. After his tenure as Gregory Fellow 1954-1956, he taught at Leeds College of Art before moving back his home county of Cornwall then Reading University, first as artist in residence and then as Professor of Painting.

Alan Davie was a Scottish painter and musician who studied at Edinburgh College of Art before travelling widely. Influenced by other painters of the period, such as Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock and Joan Miro, his painting style developed from his affinity with Zen. Gregory Fellow 1957-1959

Trevor Bell was born in Leeds and studied at Leeds College of Art. In 1955, encouraged by Terry Frost (see above) he moved to St. Ives, Cornwall, which was the centre of much British abstract art at the time. Encouraged by St. Ives artists, particularly Ben Nicholson and Patrick Heron, he exhibited in London in 1958. During his time as Gregory Fellow from 1960 to 1963, he developed his distinctive shaped canvases.

Dennis Creffield was born in London and studied under David Bomberg at Borough Polytechnic. After winning the Tonks Prize for life drawing, the Steer Medal for Landscape painting and first prize in the John Moores Prize Exhibition in Liverpool, Herbert Read recommended him as Gregory Fellow, a post he held from 1964 to 1967.

John Walker is an English painter and printmaker. He studied at Moseley School of Art in Birmingham where his early work was inspired by Abstract expressionism. After his tenure as Gregory Fellow (1967-1970) he spent some time in Australia where he held a position at Victoria College of the Arts, Melbourne. He won the John Moores Painting Prize in 1976 and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1985. He is currently head of the graduate painting programme, at Boston University, USA.

Keith Milow is a British abstract sculptor currently residing in New York. Educated at the Royal College of Art, Milow was Gregory Fellow 1970-1972 and then won a Harkness Fellowship to the USA. During the 1970s he was considered part of the British avant-garde alongside Gilbert & George, Derek Jarman and Michael Craig-Martin.

Oleg Prokofiev was a Russian artist and poet and son of composer Sergei Prokofiev. After studying in Moscow he worked in the studio of Robert Falk and at the Institute of Art History before leaving Moscow. Gregory Fellow between 1972 and 1974, he later exhibited worldwide and during a visit to New York in 1977 was influenced by abstract expressionism of the period, including Rothko, Motherwell, Barnet Newman and Helen Frankenthaler, and this influence continued throughout the rest of his life.

Norman Stevens was born in Bradford in 1937, meeting David Hockney. Both artists attended the Royal College of Art and in 1965 and 1969 toured America with other friends. In 1971 he had a solo exhibition of the American works at Hanover Gallery, London and was appointed Gregory Fellow 1974-1975. Later, he won the Chichester Arts Festival Prize, the British International Print Biennial and was a prize winner at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition in 1983, the same year he was elected an associate member of the Royal Academy.

Paul Gopal-Chowdhury was born in India in 1949 and moved to London 10 years later. In 1973 while teaching at Chelsea College of Art, he won a Boise travelling scholarship and a French Government Scholarship to paint landscapes in France before exhibiting at the Hayward Gallery, London. Gregory Fellow 1975-1977, he continued to paint, winning second place in the Imperial Tobacco Portrait Award, at the National Gallery, London, in 1982 and the Lorne Award in 1995.

John Mitchell was a British Pop and Abstract artist. After studying at Kingston School of Art he taught at Coventry School of Art. Influenced by Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, he had his first solo exhibition at Camden Arts Centre in 1972. Major shows followed in 1973 at Ikon, Birmingham and in 1974 at Galerie Swart, Amsterdam. After his Gregory Fellowship 1978-1980, he exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery, London and became senior research fellow in Fine Art at Cardiff School of Art.