Christopher Shurrock was born and educated in Bristol, from 1955 at West of England College of Art studying Intermediate /Lithography, a rigorous regime of drawing continuing into the Painting School, qualifying with National Diploma in Painting (Special) 1959. Post graduate at Cardiff College of Art/University of Wales, Art Teachers’ Diploma (Dist’) 1960.
He was Art Advisor/Community Tutor, University Settlement, Barton Hill, Bristol 1961-2. Full time Assistant Lecturer with Cardiff College of Art from 1962, progressing to Senior Lecturer/Director of the Foundation Course in Art & Design, retiring in 1991.
Thereafter lecturing part time, founding Co-ordinator for Cardiff Open School and visiting lecturer for HND courses. Later developing structured life drawing programmes until 2011.
Invited to exhibit initially with Howard Roberts Gallery, Cardiff & Axiom Gallery, London from 1960’s
Represented in permanent public collections including, National Museum of Wales, Contemporary Art Society of Wales, Bristol City Art Gallery, National Gallery of Slovakia, Bratislava, County Council, University and private collections.
Memberships:-
Royal West of England Academy elected 1971
Printmakers Council 1970-1976
South Wales Group 1960’s
(a draft for drawing towards structure)
It is a blessing to have senses; with drawing as a necessary external process, poised to unravel uncertainties inherent in observing, thinking and remembering, hopefully capable of clarifying doubt and eventually informing action.
Drawings are fundamentally working tools, confronting blockages, panics and confusions; the function of component marks continually interrogated their significance often in inverse proportion to superficial appearances. Thus a drawing on the verge of anticipated clarity can dissolve proposing yet more challenges. If it is the ‘anticipated content’ which is continually re-examined then deciphering the significance of marks can paradoxically be problematic. It is fortunate to have these opportunities, but the recurring dilemma is whether anything needs to be shown,
Drawing can cut through the obscure, but it requires a balancing of perception hopefully with probity to avoid assumptions and superfluities, such processes have urgent applicability in a wider world, time is needed ‘for the owl to fly’.
February 2016