Biography: Charles Anderson, Artist

Biography

Charles Anderson studied Drawing & Painting at Glasgow School of Art under David Donaldson, Mary Armour etc, graduating with Diploma in 1959. The following year he entered The Royal Scottish Academy painting competition for Post Graduate students and won the Chalmers Bursary. Joan Eardley - one of the adjudicators- took a keen interest in his work and encouraged him to exhibit at the RSA the same year.

Following a period of 5 years teaching art, He worked as a professional mural painter and sculptor for the next 30 years on major art and design projects throughout the United Kingdom, carrying out commissions for a wide variety of clients including local authorities, property developers, banks and major insurance companies. His most prestigious commission to date was the result of winning a national sculpture competition to provide a bronze figurative group which is entitled "The Community" for Livingston New Town in 1996. In early 1997 he returned to the painting of easel pictures and contributed to the annual exhibitions of The Royal Glasgow Institute, the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours, The Royal Scottish Academy and The Paisley Art Institute. He has works in various private collections throughout the U.K. and abroad.

In November 2004 he was elected to membership of the RSW (Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours).

In 2006 he was elected President of the Glasgow Art Club, and served in this position until February 2009, probably at one of the most challenging times for the club since it was founded in 1867. The premises in Bath Street in Glasgow, which it has occupied since 1893 needed much restoration work to the building and the preservation of works by Charles Rennie Macintosh. He became a Trustee of the Glasgow Art Club Property Company and chaired the committee dealing with the Charles Rennie McIntosh frieze to the Gallery in the Art Club.

In 2014 in recognition as one of Scotlands most successful sculptors, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland awarded him an Honoury Felowship (Hon FRIAS) for his contribution to art in the public realm.

Thanks to the efforts of organisations such as the 20c Society, Historic Scotland and others there has been increasing realization in recent years of the importance of Charles Anderson’s work which has resulted in several successful efforts to rescue major pieces under threat. Chief among these have been the saving of the sculptural friezes at Burnley Lancs., the Provost’s Pool (Rainbow Slides), Stirling and the Greenock Central Library.

Charles Anderson “The community” for Livingston New Town.

Click here for my Sculptor & Mural Designer Biography

Major Commissions over the yers: -

Burnley District Council.
What maybe the longest wall sculpture in the UK - a 9 ft high, 150 ft long sculpture for The Thomson Sports Centre in Burnley Lancs commissioned by the Local Authority. In September 2011 it was unveiled in its new location at Crow Wood Leisure Centre in Burnley following the demolition of the Thomson Sports Centre in 2006.

Scottish Amicable Assurance:
A bronze sculpture almost 16 metres (53ft) high in the entrance hall in the headquarters building at Craigforth, in Stirling.

Trafalgar House Developments.
Romford, London: Murals at Liberty 2 Retail & Leisure Development. (Competition winner.)

Land Securities plc.
Awarded a mural commission by Land Securities then chairman Sir Peter Hunt for the Company's Kennet Centre development at Newbury, Berkshire. Subsequently commissioned to produce a series of bronze wall sculptures for the same development. Charles Anderson has also carried out work for this client at Liverpool and Walsall.

Norwich Union Insurance Group
Commissioned by the Group to produce work for Maylord Orchards Shopping Centre in Hereford and at the Trinity Centre in Aberdeen. A large mural also painted for the client's Headquarters building in Norwich.

Safeway plc
Recent commissions for Safeway have included heritage murals at Ayr and Hamilton and a free standing sculpture at the new Presto store in North Berwick, and a stainless steel figurative sculpture for one of their Superstores in Dumbarton.

Government: Property Services Agency
1) Customs House Restoration : Dundee - Carved sculptured crest for classical facade of building.
2) Inland Revenue Offices, Cumbernauld: large 3 part sculpture group cast in coloured concrete.

Awards etc.: -

1960
Won Chalmers Bursary in Royal Scottish Academy painting competition .

1996
Livingston Development Corporation. National Sculpture Competition
Charles Anderson was the winner of a national sculpture competition promoted by the Corporation of Livingston New Town and was commissioned to provide a large bronze figurative group entitled "The Community" for the town centre. A photograph of this featured as the cover for the book “An Essay for Today” - The Scottish new Towns 1947 to 1997 by David Cowling (Rutland Press 1997).

2004
Paisley Art Institute - Kennox (Aspect) Prize Finalist

2004
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) - Mabel Mackinlay Award for Painting

2004
Elected to membership of The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW)

2007
Paisley Art Institute - Won the James BS Curr Memorial Prize and The William Bowie Award for a painting in this year's Paisley Art Institute annual exhibition