Early life
Born inTraining
In 1945 Crook received a grant to study at St Martin's School, London. In 1948 he enrolled at the Central School of Art, known at the time for its innovative work in textiles. Crook graduated with a degree in textile design and began tutoring at the Central School, before being employed as a lecturer.Career
After completing his training Crook lived in London for 22 years, working as a freelance designer and teaching at the Central School and the Royal College of Art. He also exhibited his own work, ceramics, drawings, paintings, and tapestries. The artist once said:Because I work in a lot of media, people can't get to grips with my work. The point is that oneself as an artist remains consistent. My object is to end up with something that I haven't seen before, to get an image which I could not have imaginedIn 1972, aged 51, Crook decided to emigrate to New Zealand and settled in Wellington, where he spent the rest of his life. He continued making art until his death in 2011, aged 89, and was known for his diverse and prodigious output. In 1979 Crook was commissioned to produce a set of 20 banners for the Miles Warren-designed New Zealand Embassy in Washington. Hanging in the Great Hall of the embassy building the banners measure five metres by 1 metre and feature South Pacific imagery and
When assessing a talent as multi-faceted as Crook's it is difficult to single out one aspect for consideration above the others. In my opinion, his work with textiles and fabrics constitutes his most significant contribution to contemporary art. ... In New Zealand there is no designer in this field who is as highly qualified or as accomplished as Gordon Crook. In terms of colour and design, his tapestries are by far the most consistently exciting work in the medium made here.Crook received significant support from Jim Barr and James Mack, two early directors of The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt, who collected and exhibited his work. Significant solo exhibitions of Crook's work include: *1993–1996 ''An Introduction to the world of Gordon Crook'', touring throughout New Zealand *2011 ''Gordon Crook: 18 Maritimes'', The Dowse Art Museum Crook's two suites of pastels, were shown at two exhibitions in Wellington: * 26 March to 13 April 1985 ''In Memorium'', which included 13 pastel drawings, at the Janne Land Gallery * 7 to 30 March 1986 ''Gordon Crook: pastel works'' at the City Art Gallery Publications: * Catalogue of an exhibition of tapestries and drawings based on the theme of Adam and Eve, Wellington: Galerie Legend, 1978 *''Gordon Crook'', Wellington: Brooker Gallery, 1993. *''Biography of the mind'' Wellington: Page Blackie Gallery, 2013.
''Gordon Crook: A Life of Art''
In 2010 a documentary about Crook, ''Gordon Crook: A Life of Art'', by director Clare O'Leary premiered at New Zealand's International Film Festival. The documentary traced Crook's life from his early years in foster care to his time as a London Central School of Art lecturer to his decades in Wellington and featured interviews with Crook, his friends, supporters, students and dealer representatives. The documentary also features autobiographical narrative, including poems written by Crook. Further information:Death
Crook died in Wellington on 26 August 2011.Collections
Crook's work is held in collections across New Zealand.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crook, Gordon 1921 births 2011 deaths New Zealand textile artists New Zealand painters Textile artists English painters New Zealand printmakers English printmakers People from Richmond, London English emigrants to New Zealand Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design 20th-century textile artists 21st-century textile artists 20th-century New Zealand artists 20th-century New Zealand male artists 21st-century New Zealand artists 21st-century New Zealand male artists