Celebrated Glasgow artist presents oil painting to the University
Frank To (centre) is pictured with Sir Patrick Stewart (right) and Professor Steve Swindells, Frank's former tutor at the University.
Wed, 15 Jul 2015 05:30:00 BST
Artist and Huddersfield graduate Frank To is much admired by former Chancellor Sir Patrick Stewart
SIR Patrick Stewart has long had a formidable reputation for his artistry on stage and screen. Now he has begun to express himself with a paintbrush. And his new-found passion is partly due to the inspiration he has received from the work and the friendship of an ex-University of Huddersfield student, now a professional artist with a growing reputation.
For 11 years, Sir Patrick was Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield. He has now relinquished the role – handing over to His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KG – but one of his final tasks was to preside over a ceremony in which Glasgow-based artist Frank To donated to his former university a dramatic oil painting named Fallen. It is now on permanent display in the University’s Creative Arts Building.
Sir Patrick first saw the picture in the early years of his Chancellorship, while Mr To was still a student, and – with his keen eye for art – the famous actor was immensely impressed.
“I have lusted after this painting since I first saw it more than 10 years ago! It made a big impact on me,” he said at the installation ceremony.
During the intervening years, the famous actor and the young artist have stayed in touch and Sir Patrick – now Chancellor Emeritus at the University – has purchased a number of works by Frank To, who used the actor’s universally-recognisable face and features to depict the Roman poet Virgil in a dramatic series of paintings based on Dante’s Inferno.
Donating his early work Fallen – which featured in his end-of-year coursework show in 2004 – meant that the painting had come full circle, said Frank To. He told the audience how his Fine Art degree course, with its excellent teaching, had equipped him not only with technical knowledge but also the life skills he needed to pursue his career as an artist.
Then Sir Patrick revealed how his wife had recently presented him with brushes and paint. To begin with he was scared of them, he admitted, as he had no drawing skills. But one day he attempted to paint a camellia flower and soon he was hooked.
“I am now deeply embedded in painting, never having touched a brush before!” he said. And the works of Frank To had been a big inspiration, he added.
The artist presented gifts to Sir Patrick, including a pair of silver cufflinks designed and made by the artist’s girlfriend Jillian Noble. They took their inspiration from the Yorkshire Moors and from Shakespeare play The Tempest.
The Chair of the University Council, Mr Chris Brown, gave formal thanks to Mr To for the gift of the artwork.
“Since graduating from the Fine Art course, Frank has gone on to establish an enviable reputation as a contemporary painter. It is therefore with great pleasure that the University is honoured to accept Frank’s generous donation of Fallen, the artwork which in some ways began his career. It was exhibited by Frank in his final-year show and so it is fitting that today we are welcoming it too back to campus,” said Mr Brown.
One of the artist’s former tutors, Steve Swindells, now Professor of Creative Practice, said that Frank To had been a pleasure to teach and that he was now reaching great heights in his profession.
