Leslie Illsley was an English artist and sculptor based in West Penwith. He was one of the founders of the Troika group (also known as
Troika Pottery
Troika was an art pottery that operated in Cornwall from 1962 to 1983. It was founded by three people, Leslie Illsley, Jan Thompson and Benny Sirota who took over the Powell and Wells Pottery at Wheal Dream, where Sirota had previously worked as ...
). Illsley is also the brother of prominent St Ives artist
Bryan Illsley.
Early life
Illsley was the second of three brothers born and raised in Surbiton. He attended Kingston College of Art where he graduated. He attended evening classes as Central St Martins in 1959 whilst working as a sculptor repairing Westminster Abbey by day. In 1960 entered the Young Contemporaries competition beating such names as
Peter Blake,
Maurice Agis
Maurice Agis (7 December 1931 – 12 October 2009) was a British sculptor and artist whose ''Dreamspace'' projects drew the involvement and work of various schools and art institutions all over Britain. His disillusionment with galleries and mu ...
and
David Hockney
David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists o ...
to first prize. Illsley's influences were diverse from
Brancusi and
Paul Klee
Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...
to
Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...
.
Troika
Illsley ran Troika with Benny Sirota from 1963 until Benny left the business in 1980 and eventually it closed in 1983. The Troika designs were mostly by Caroline Illsley, his first wife, who he met at Kingston School of Art. Together they produced the Troika ‘Love Plaque’. This arguably made Leslie Illsley one of Britains most prolific artists.
[Harris, Ben and lllsley, Lawrence (2013). ''Troika: 63-83'', It's pronounce Aitch. .]
Further reading
*Cashmore, Carol (1994). ''Troika Pottery St Ives''.
* Perrott, George (2003). ''Troika Ceramics of Cornwall''. Gemini Publications.
* Harris, Ben and Illsley, Lawrence (2013). Troika 63-83. It's Pronounced Aitch Publishing.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Illsley, Leslie
1936 births
1989 deaths
20th-century English painters
English male painters
English male sculptors
20th-century English male artists