PHILIPPA COOPER
&
PETER KELLY (1931-2019)

PHILIPPA COOPER

1934

Born, parents John Cooper, painter, teacher and founder of the East London Group, and the painter Phyllis Bray

1949

While at South Hampstead High School, painted wall panels (since destroyed) at Wickham's furniture store in the Mile End Road, Whitechapel

1950-55

With a major state scholarship attended the Slade School of Fine Art, 1950-54, with a postgraduate year, 1954-5. Teachers included William Coldstream, Lucian Freud, BAR (Sam) Carter, John Piper, Edward Ardizzone, Robert Medley and John Buckland Wright

1961-70

Taught at London County Council and Inner London Education Authority Schools, Chiswick Polytechnic and elsewhere

1970-96

Always had a strong interest in architecture. Her first husband was Geoffry Powell, winner of the 1952 Golden Lane housing scheme and founder of Chamberlin, Powell & Bon, architects of the Barbican scheme, City of London. She was for 26 years planning adviser to the Borough of Ealing for the conservation of Bedford Park

EXHIBITED

1954

Young Contemporaries

1978

A Family of Painters - 3 Generations, Queen Mary College (which she organised)

1987/90

Judd Street Gallery (solo)

1997

Sally Hunter Fine Art and Collyer-Bristow Gallery

1999

Currells, Islington
The Millinery Works

2000

St Raphael Gallery

2001

Grosvenor House (with Noriaki Maeda)

2005

Chappel Galleries (with Peter Kelly, RBA)

Philippa Cooper's career, like that of many women artists, has had to accommodate the needs of family life. She had early recognition when the notable painter and critic Patrick Heron drew attention to her work in the New Statesman. During her student days she made some line etchings, landscape and other subjects, and it is a pity that she has not been able to pursue this demanding medium. The Strang Print Room, at the Slade, holds three examples.

She recalls how A H Gerrard, in charge of the Slade School's sculpture department, offered her three radio valves as a subject. Not much magic there, you would think, but she responded with a singularly sensitive image.

The Slade period also produced some interesting oils. Her contribution to the 1953 Football Association competition Football and the Fine Arts, which attracted many notable painters, was a big, lively depiction of a match in action a1 Highbury.

For many years she has chosen to concentrate on landscapes of Britain, Italy and Africa, where she lived for periods, producing watercolours which are delicate anc allusive. They can be most atmospheric, with a fine sense of time and place.

David Buckman, author, The Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945