Trevor Winkfield (born 1944) is a British-born artist and writer. Drawing upon his interest in both modernist literary movements and medieval architecture and pageantry, Winkfield has collaborated with many contemporary poets and writers, including John Ashbery,

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, and

Ron Padgett Ron Padgett (born June 17, 1942, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American poet, essayist, fiction writer, translator, and a member of the New York School. ''Great Balls of Fire'', Padgett's first full-length collection of poems, was published in 1969. He ...

Early life

Born in Leeds, England in 1944, Winkfield had an early interest in medieval heraldry and pageantry that had a major influence on his later work. As a teenager, Winkfield began making what he called "pilgrimages" by bicycle and bus to see single works of art, including works by

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

and

Kurt Schwitters Kurt Hermann Eduard Karl Julius Schwitters (20 June 1887 – 8 January 1948) was a German artist who was born in Hanover, Germany. Schwitters worked in several genres and media, including dadaism, Constructivism (art), constructivism, surrealism ...

. At the age of sixteen, Winkfield enrolled at

Leeds College of Art Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds. History It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Scho ...

, which he has described as "a second kindergarten, with no classes to attend (or at least very few) ... everyone was very friendly, a real community." Winkfield has described himself as a "self-taught" painter, viewing his painting as a reaction against the Bauhaus-inspired orientation of the school at the time. He received an Intermediate Certificate in Art from Leeds College of Art in 1964. From 1964 to 1967, he studied at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It o ...

in London, earning an M.A. in fine art.

Career

Described as a “connoisseur of the original, spare, and strange,” Winkfield has collaborated with John Ashbery,

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Barbara Guest Barbara Guest, ''née'' Barbara Ann Pinson (September 6, 1920 – February 15, 2006), was an American poet and prose stylist. Guest first gained recognition as a member of the first generation New York School of poetry. Guest wrote more than ...

, and John Yau. Winkfield founded several small poetry journals in the late 1960s, including one called Juilliard, which brought him into association with poets of the New York School, including James Schuyler. As a painter, Winkfield is represented by

Tibor de Nagy Gallery The Tibor de Nagy Gallery is an art gallery located on Rivington Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. History Tibor de Nagy Gallery is among the earliest modern art galleries in New York City. The gallery was founded by ...

. He was awarded a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award (1993). In 2014, a book-length interview with Winkfield by Miles Champion was published under the title “How I Became a Painter,” and a selection of Winkfield's writings on art was published under the title “Georges Braque & Others: The Selected Art Writings of Trevor Winkfield.” In 2015, a solo exhibition, entitled “Trevor Winkfield's Pageant,” was mounted at the

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is an American literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthropist Ru ...

in Chicago, showcasing Winkfield's collaborations with notable poets.

References

Sources

“All Our Perverse Pleasures,” Trevor Winkfield with Jarrett Earnest
''The Brooklyn Rail'', May 6, 2014.
“31 March (1971): James Schuyler to Trevor Winkfield,” The American Reader.
*Schwabsky, Barry.
“Shelf Life: Trevor Winkfield is a connoisseur of the original, spare and strange.”
''The Nation'', August 12, 2014. *Devaney, Thomas. �
Relentless Complexities: Trevor Winkfield's Art Writing.”
Hyperallergic, Nov. 23, 2014.
“A Painter Among Poets: Trevor Winkfield.”
The Poetry Society.
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Artists: Trevor Winkfield.Trevor Winkfield interviewed by Maggie Paley.
''Bomb'': Artists in Conversation. May 19, 2009.

External links

* Trevor Winkfield Papers. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:Winkfield, Trevor British artists British writers 1944 births Living people