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John 
Skelton
1923 - 1999


John 
Skelton
, sculptor and last apprentice of Eric Gill. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3937603,00.html Obituary: "Many of the major works of the sculptor John Skelton, who has died aged 76, are in the great English cathedrals, among them the madonna at Norwich and the baptism font at Chichester. He also has work at Chelmsford and Winchester. In London, at St Paul's Cathedral, stands his memorial to the great commanders of the second world war, and, in poets' corner, his John Clare memorial." John Skelton Sculptor whose craftsmanship in wood and stone lives on in cathedrals, parks and villages Colette Bailey Guardian Friday December 3, 1999 Many of the major works of the sculptor John Skelton, who has died aged 76, are in the great English cathedrals, among them the madonna at Norwich and the baptism font at Chichester. He also has work at Chelmsford and Winchester. In London, at St Paul's Cathedral, stands his memorial to the great commanders of the second world war, and, in poets' corner, his John Clare memorial. Skelton's grounding and knowledge of the skills of carving are apparent in works such as King Of Pigeons (1988) and Axis Mundi (1990). He took his traditional training and applied it to modern, abstracted work, while also working as a master letter-carver and mason. Perhaps the most important work for Skelton himself was his last large sculpture, Winter Dreams (1994). Inspired by a television film of Kenneth MacMillan rehearsing the ballet of the same name, he carved the piece in a flawless piece of Portland stone, which had been sitting in his yard for 30 years waiting for something to fit it. It still stands in his garden, now a finished piece. Skilled in carving both wood and stone, Skelton believed in the importance of craftsmanship and drawing as the starting base for all artists. Born in Glasgow into a church of England family, he began his schooling in Norwich as a cathedral chorister. He retained a deep spiritual feeling from this early experience which shone through his work and life. He moved to Coventry just before his teenage years to continue his education at Bablake School, and later at Coventry School of Art for a year, before becoming apprentice to his uncle, the sculptor and designer Eric Gill, under whose eye he showed an immediate aptitude for working with stone. When Gill died, three months later, the younger sculptor became assistant to Gill's first apprentice, Joseph Cribb, on Ditchling Common, Sussex, where a community of artists had been gathering around Gill and his family since about 1916. In 1942, Skelton joined the army and trained as a driver and wireless operator. Two years later, he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery and served in India, Burma, Malaya and Siam. Later, he returned to Sussex, and in 1947 continued his study of stone carving under Percival Bridgman, the general mason of Lewes. By 1953, he had his own workshop with his own first apprentice. Mischievous, saucy, lively and an eccentric of the best kind, Skelton was a memorable figure in his cap, wobbly stick and kilt. He was not afraid to stand outside the crowd, and his strongly held, often unfashionable, views were expounded with passion and feeling. A vociferous member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors from 1955, and sometime vice-president, his opinions were steadfast, and his dedication to his artform, and its base in traditional craftsmanship, obvious. Among his exhibitions were those at the Royal Academy, Brighton festival, the huge silver jubilee exhibition of British sculpture at Battersea Park in 1977, Chelsea Harbour Sculpture 93, Tower Bridge Expo 95 and, in 1993, his own retrospective in his home town of Streat, in Sussex, at which he gathered more than 100 works of sculpture. The family carving tradition continues with Skelton's daughter Helen, who now works at his workshop. Skelton is survived by his wife, Myrtle, whom he married in 1948, and their son and two daughters. John Skelton, sculptor, born July 8 1923; died November 26 1999

Born: Glasgow, Scotland 8th Jul 1923 Baptised:
Died: 26th Nov 1999Buried:
Family:
Skelton

Ancestors
[ Patrilineage | Matrilineage | Earliest Ancestors | Force | Force2 | Set Relationship | Relationship | Options ]

1.
John 
Skelton
(
?
) 1923 - 1999
   
 
3.
Margaret Evangeline (Angela) 
Gill
1895 - post 1929
6.
Rev. Arthur Tidman 
Gill
(
King
) 1848 - 1933
7.
Cicely Rose (Rose) 
King
(
Gill
) 1855 - c. 1929

Siblings



Spouses



1.
Myrtle 
?
(
Skelton
) + post 2000

Descendants
[ Options ]

a.
Myrtle 
?
(
Skelton
) + post 2000
1.
Helen 
Skelton
+ post 1999
2.
M/? 
Skelton
+ post 1999
3.
F/? 
Skelton
+ post 1999
Sources

Timeline


???Married
Myrtle 
?
(
Skelton
) + post 2000
(marriage)
8th Jul 1923Born (birth) Glasgow, Scotland
26th Nov 1999Died (death)
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