William Tillyer

Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, where acquired by David Bowie

The canvas and the board are sound. There is a small and minor imperfection to the weave of the canvas in the upper left corner. There are some tiny traces of light surface dirt to the work. Subject to the above the work is in excellent overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of restoration or retouching. The work is held within the Artist's black painted tray frame, which has a few minor nicks to the extreme edges of the frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

At first glance, the colourful, abstract paintings of William Tillyer may not appear to take the landscape as their subject matter, but Tillyer is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in the English romantic landscape tradition, following in the footsteps of Constable and Turner. Living and working in the North Yorkshire Moors, he draws inspiration from this simple yet grand landscape, focussing particularly on the space and atmosphere of his surroundings, as well as man’s place within it. He takes a holistic view of nature and the environment, writing that: ‘it is a knitting together of earth and space, the intricate architecture of a leaf, a tree and its root system, the complex geometry of an insect, man and his structures, wind and weather. Landscape is where energies and forces are one and the same for all things, where the horizon line has little currency as a division between form and space, a cloud and root are of the same denomination.’ (William Tillyer, ‘The Kachina Paintings: Some Brief Notes’, in William Tillyer: Kachina Paintings (exh. cat.), André Emmerich Gallery, New York, 1994, unpaginated).

Tillyer approaches this very traditional genre with a style which embraces both painterly and geometric abstraction: as Martin Gayford has stated, ‘there is an avant-garde side to Tillyer, but also an aspect for which the only adjective is Wordsworthian.’ (Martin Gayford, ‘Kachina Paintings’, ibid.). Whilst in some works there may be the suggestion of the branches of a tree or the clouds in the sky, it is rarely ever more than a suggestion, as more often his swirling, gestural brushstrokes stand as mere hieroglyphs for elements of the environment: he captures the very essence of the landscape in a manner which demonstrates his innate understanding and appreciation for it.

Blackbird illustrates wonderfully Tillyer’s unconventional approach to the subject of landscape. He captures a scene of abundance in arcing brushstrokes: verdant greens set the scene, suggestive of lush vegetation, beneath a turquoise sky. There is a softness to the strokes and a luminosity to the tones which creates a subtle glow, creating a scene of bountiful natural growth. This is contrasted by the flat black shape cut into the centre of the work, its curved form suggestive perhaps of the blackbird named in the title. Utilising a very contemporary, abstract language, Tillyer nevertheless presents us with an incredibly atmospheric, romantic landscape, conjuring a perfect English idyll.