Biography

Painter, collagist, construction-maker and teacher, full name Edwin John Pasmore, married to the artist Wendy Pasmore, who appeared in some of his early work. He was born in Chelsham, Surrey, and for a decade from 1927 worked in local government at County Hall, London, until with the help of Sir Kenneth Clark he was able to cease being a Sunday painter, painting full-time and in 1938 helping to form the Euston Road School with William Coldstream and Claude Rogers. He had attended Central School of Arts and Crafts part time and had begun showing with London Artists' Association, having his first solo show with it in 1933. Pasmore was also to teach at Camberwell School of Art, 1943-9, from 1949-53 being visiting professor at Central School of Art and Design.

Around 1948 Pasmore's work shifted from the atmospheric, representational Euston Road style to abstraction, the course he thereafter pursued. In the period 1951-63 began to work on relief constructions. From 1954-61 was director of painting at Department of Fine Art, University of Newcastle; between 1954-77 was consulting director of urban design at Peterlee New Town. Pasmore's international reputation grew from 1960s, including a retrospective exhibition at Tate Gallery and touring, 1965, with a one-man British Council travelling show and a special display at the Tate Gallery, both in 1980. The Tate, Arts Council and other leading collections hold his work. Pasmore, who was made a Companion of Honour in 1981 and was elected RA i 1984, latterly lived in Gudja, Malta, and London.