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Tate Adams (b. 1922)
Born in Holywood, County Down, Tate Adams was born
William Allen Adams. Known for his wood engravings at
the RHA, he held his first joint exhibition organized by the
Encouragement of Music and Arts (CEMA) with Gerard Dillon
in 1949. Several works in the exhibition depict scenes from
Ceylon from a sojourn to the area in 1943 and others depict
landscapes of Kilkeel and the Mourne Mountains. In his
foreword, John Hewitt added ‘…his imagination seems to
perform for him the same junction as Dillon’s Aran Arcady…”
Shortly after the exhibition, Adams travelled to London
where he took night classes at the Central School of
Art under the British printmaker, Gertrude Hermes. In late 1952, Adams traveled to
Melbourne and through his friendship with Gerard Dillon met Australian artist, Leonard
French and they shared a studio together. Leonard French, who was working at the
National Gallery of Victoria as an education officer and was pivotal in the art scene in
Melbourne in the 1950’s and 60’s, introduced Tate to RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology).
In 1959 he returned to Ireland for a year working voluntarily with Liam Miller of Dolmen
Press. Dolmen published his first book of engravings,
Soul Cages,
and on returning to
Melbourne he completed linocuts to illustrate the Dolmen Press reprint of
Riders to the
Sea.
From 1960 he painted an impressive series of symbolist portraits of the Irish writer,
Brendan Behan, called
The Warrior.
In 1966, Tate Adams established the Crossley Gallery (for prints). At the age of 91, he
continues to work, designing books for his book company, Lyre Bird Press
Arthur Campbell ARUA (1909-94)
Landscape painter, designer, illustrator and photographer,
Arthur Campbell spent his first nine years in Dublin and Arklow,
Co.Wicklow. Brother to George and son to Gretta Bowen, Arthur
went to night classes at Belfast College of Art. In 1925-45 he was a
printing and advertisement designer with W. & G.Baird Ltd., Belfast.
He produced two books of Photographs
Return Journey.
In 1939
he exhibited for the first time at the Royal Hibernian Academy and
continued to exhibit there for the next three decades. A good
organizer like his brother George, they produced
Now in Ulster
containing short stories, articles, verse and illustrations. He also
organized the publication of Ulster in Black and White featuring the
work of the Campbell brothers, Maurice C.Wilks and Patricia Webb
in 1943.
Living in Oakley Road, Ranelagh in the late 1940’s, he continued to exhibit at the RHA and his
photographs appeared regularly in photographic journals. In 1949 he worked in an advertising
agency in Manchester as a visualiser, and took night classes at Stockport Art School.
He held his first one man show, sponsored by CEMA in 1950 at 55a Donegall Place, Belfast. In
1984 The Arts Council of Northern Ireland hosted an exhibition of Campbell’s watercolours and
photographs from 1935. In 1986 he was appointed an associate of the Royal Ulster Academy. He
died peacefully at his home 20th March 1994.