The Artists CV

Andrew Tift
Walsall UK

E-Mail

BIOGRAPHY

September 1987-June 1988
Stafford College of Art
Foundation Course Diploma - Upper Pass

September 1988 – June 1991
University of Central England
Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons Illustration) – First Class

September 1991-December 1992
University of Central England
Master of Arts Illustration - Distinction

EXHIBITIONS:

Group Exhibitions:

1992 June BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
1992 Dec FOUNDRY IMAGES, Walsall Museum and Art Gallery, Walsall
1993 June BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
1993 July TALKING PIGEONS, Walsall Museum and Art Gallery, Walsall
1994 Jan 135th MANCHESTER ACADEMY OPEN, Manchester City Art Gallery.Manchester
1994 Mar IN SEARCH OF THE BLACK COUNTRY, Walsall Museum and Art Gallery, Walsall
1994 June BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
1995 Oct TREASURES FROM THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
(6 month touring exhibition of Japan) Koriyama City Museum, Matsuzakaya Museum-Nagoya, Hiroshima Museum, Kita-Kyushu City Museum, Hankyu Museum-Kobe, Daimaru Museum-Tokyo.
1996 Feb 137th MANCHESTER ACADEMY OPEN, Manchester City Art Gallery, Manchester
1996 July BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery London
1996 Dec 20 BRITISH ARTISTS, The Cork Street Gallery, London<
1996 Dec GROUP SHOW, Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester
1997 June ROYAL BIRMINGHAM SOCIETY OF ARTISTS, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham
1997 Sept ROYAL OVER-SEAS LEAGUE 14th ANNUAL OPEN COMPETITION 1997,
Over-Seas House, London – (and tour, 1997 Oct- Edinburgh College of Art)
1997 Sept GROUP SHOW, Le Capitole – La Defenise Gallery, Paris
1998 April START 2 – Me and You, Walsall Museum and Art Gallery , Walsall
1999 June BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
2000 June BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
2000 June GROUP SHOW, The Air Gallery, London
2000 Aug LABOUR INTENSIVE, The City Gallery, Leicester
2000 Nov FACE TO FACE, The Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford
2000 Nov IN MEMORIAM, The New Art Gallery, Walsall<
2001 Sept GROUP SHOW, Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester
2001 Dec CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION, Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester
2002 Jan ART 2002 (BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE) , London
2002 Feb EIDETIC (Photorealism), Brit Art Gallery, London
2002 April NEW ACQUISITIONS, National Portrait Gallery, London
2002 Jun BP PORTRAIT AWARDS, National Portrait Gallery, London
2002 Oct THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR, Pier 97, New York
2002 Dec CHRISTMAS SHOW, Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester<
2003 Mar BRIT ART AT SELFRIDGES, Brit Art, London
2003 Apr MAKING PORTRAITS, Bodelwyddan Castle, N.P.G. (Wales)
2003 Jun ART LONDON, Jonathan Cooper/Park Walk Gallery, London
2003 Dec EUROPEAN PAINTING AWARDS, Frissiras Museum, Athens
2004 Jan MAKING FACES, Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery /N.P.G., Sunderland
2004 Apr GROUP SHOW, Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester
2004 Jun BP PORTRAIT AWARD, National Portrait Gallery, London
2005 April FRANKFURT ART FAIR, Philips Contemporary Art, Frankfurt
2005 Jun BP PORTRAIT AWARD, National Portrait Gallery, London
2006 Mar THE WALES PORTRAIT AWARD, Bodelwyddan Castle and tour, Wales
2006 Mar 150th ANNIVERSARY POSTCARD EXHIBITION, National Portrait Gallery, London
2006 Feb ANTHROPOGEOGRAPHY 3, Frissiras Museum, Athens
2006 Aug SCENES FROM NEW MEXICO, Andreeva Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
2006 Oct GROUP SHOW, One Plus One Gallery, London.
2007 Mar ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS ANNUAL SHOW (Invited artist), The Mall Galleries, London
2007 Apr HOW ART IS MADE, Birmingham Museum and art Gallery, Birmingham.
2007 Jun PREVIOUS WINNERS, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2007 Oct OUT OF THE BOX AND AROUND THE CORNER, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Walsall.
2007 Dec THE ARTIST'S PROCESS, National Portrait Gallery, London
2008 Jan LABOUR INTENSIVE, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Walsall
2008 Sep WALES PORTRAIT AWARD 1, St David's Hall, Cardiff and Tour
2009 Aug NEW ACQUISITIONS, The Smithsonian Institution , Washington D.C. USA
2009 Sep WALES PORTRAIT AWARD 2, Rhyl Art Museum and Art Gallery and tour
2009 Dec PARTY, The New Art Gallery, Walsall
2009 Feb FACE TO FACE, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
2009 Feb WINTER SHOW, Plus One Gallery, London
2010 Feb WINTER SHOW, Plus One Gallery, London
2010 May ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS EXHIBITION, Mall Gallery, London
2010 May NEW ACQUISITIONS- (ALAN GARNER), Grosvenor Museum, Chester
2010 Aug AMERICANS NOW, The Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. USA
2010 Nov PORTRAIT GALA POSTCARD EXHIBITION, National Portrait Gallery, London
2011 Mar BLACK AND WHITE, Frissiras Museum, Athens
2011 Jul THE QUALITY OF THINGS, Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery, North Wales
2011 May IN FOCUS - THREE MAN SHOW, Plus One Gallery, London
2012 Feb PORTRAIT GALA POSTCARD EXHIBITION, National Portrait Gallery, London
2012 Apr FACE TO FACE, Frissiras Museum, Athens
2012 May ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS EXHIBITION, Mall Gallery, London
2012 Jun SPORT, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Walsall
2012 Dec OPEN, Wolverhampton Museum and Art Gallery, Wolverhampton
2012 Dec BRITISH REALISM NOW, Metro Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2013 Mar PHOTOREALISM, Andorra Museum, Andorra
2013 Oct A NORTHERN SENSIBILITY, Saatchi Gallery, London
2013 Feb WORKS ON PAPER, (NEW ACQUISITIONS), National Portrait Gallery, London
2014 Feb PORTRAIT GALA POSTCARD EXHIBITION, National Portrait Gallery, London
2014 Jun NEW ACQUISITIONS (KEN LIVINGSTONE) - National Portrait Gallery, London
2014 Aug PAINTING 3, Frissiras Museum, Athens
2015 Feb NEW ACQUISITIONS, (LORD CARRINGTON), Palace of Westminster, London

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

1995 June SAYONARA PET: FROM SUNDERLAND TO TOKYO AT THE NISSAN CAR FACTORIES, (Sponsored by BP)National Portrait Gallery London(& Tour)
1995 Oct SAYONARA PET: Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen
1996 Sept SAYONARA PET: Walsall Museum and Art Gallery,Walsall
2004 Aug FACES OF NEW MEXICO, Andreeva Fine Art, Santa Fe, U.S.A
2007 Jan KITTY, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Walsall
2008 Jan PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS, Andreeva Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
2009 Oct SOLO SHOW, Plus One Gallery, London
   

 

AWARDS:

LOUISA ANNE RYLAND AWARD – University of Central England
EMERSON GROUP AWARD – Manchester Academy of Fine Art
(COMMENDED) BP PORTRAIT AWARD 1994 – National Portrait Gallery
BP TRAVEL AWARD 1994 (4 weeks painting study in Japan) – National Portrait Gallery
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE ARTS SPONSORSHIP – South Staffordshire County Council
THE JAPAN FESTIVAL AWARDS 1997(VISUAL ARTS) – The Japan Festival Awards
BP PORTRAIT AWARDS 1999 ( 3RD Prize) – National Portrait Gallery
BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2000 (COMMENDED) – National Portrait Gallery
(3RD PRIZE) THE EUROPEAN PAINTING AWARD, 2003- Frissiras Museum, Athens. BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2006 (FIRST PRIZE) – National Portrait Gallery, London

 

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:

The National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Jersey Museum and Art Gallery
Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery
Royal Over-Seas League
The House of Commons
The Santa Fe Institute
The New Art Gallery, Walsall
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Frissiras Museum
The Honourable Society of The Inner Temple
The Old Bailey
The Grosvenor Museum
House of Lords
The British Academy
Balliol College
Manchester Grammar School

 

NOTABLE COMMISSIONS:

Rt Hon. Tony Benn MP – House of Commons
Neil and Glenys Kinnock – National Portrait Gallery
Sir Patrick Cormack FSA MP – The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Sir Clifford Boulton – House of Commons
Sir Colin Imray – Royal Over-Seas League
Professor Carlos Brebbia – Wessex Institute of Technology
Murray Gell-Mann (Nobel piece prize winning scientist) – The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Cormack McCarthy – Author – The Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. USA
Lord Chief Justice Woolf – The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
His Honour Judge Michael Hyam – The Old Bailey
Ken Livingstone, National Portrait Gallery
Eric Sykes, CBE,National Portrait Gallery
Alan Garner,OBE, Grosvenor Museum
Lord Carrington, House of Lords
Sir Adam Roberts, The British Academy, Balliol College

PUBLICATIONS:

Treasures from the National Portrait Gallery – National Portrait Gallery Publications (1995)
Tony Benn, A Political Life – Continuum (2001) IBSN 0 8264 5699 5
BP Portrait Award 1990-2001 – NPG Publications (2001) IBSN 1 85514 3283
BP Portrait Award 2003 – NPG Publications (2003) IBSN 1 85514 5057
Frissiras Contemporary European Painting Award – Frissiras Museum (2003)
BP Portrait Award 2004 – NPG Publications (2004) IBSN 1 85514 3445
Never to be Forgotten, Joe Miere - Channel Island Publishing (2004) IBSN 09542 669 8 6
BP Portrait Award 2005 – NPG Publications (2005) IBSN 1 85514 365 8
Wales Portrait Award (2006) IBSN 1 900941 90 2
The Portrait Now, Sandy Nairne/Sarah Howgate – NPG Publications (2006) IBSN 10: 1 85514 358 5
BP Portrait Awards 2006 - NPG Publications (2006) IBSN 1 85514 373 9
A Guide to Contemporay Portraits - National Portrait Gallery (2009) - IBSN 978 185514 4040
500 Portraits - National Portrait Gallery (2011) - ISBN 978 85514 448 4
Black and White- The Frissiras Museum (2011) - ISBN 978-960-99756-0-5
Face to Face- The Frissiras Museum (2012) - ISBN 978 960 - 99756-2 9
Painting III - The Frissiras Museum (2014) - IBSN 978 960 99756 8 1

TELEVISION

Channel 4 commissioned a documentary about Andrew which was first broadcast in April 2002.

Coluga Films made a TV series in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery and Channel 4 called In Your Face featuring 7 artists which is available on DVD.

The Palace of Westminster also have two films on Andrew's portraits of Tony Benn and Lord Carrington featuring interviews and progression of the portraits which are available to view on their website.

There is also an unedited video diary made by Andrew detailing the complete sequence from beginning to end of his portrait of Ken Livingstone which is in the National Portrait Gallery's archives.

A German TV show Galileo madE a film about Andrew (vimeo.com/70978945)

 

RADIO

Studio interview with Mark Lawson on "Front Row" on Radio 4 - June 2006

 

ARTISTS PHILOSOPHY:

I work in a highly detailed, intensely realistic manner and aim for an absolutely pure and objective likeness. Specific environments and narrative objects are often extremely important ingredients to my portraits as they can help to reflect and reinforce the sitters identity. I seek to convey people in the most understanding, intimate and sympathetic way that I can and strive for perfection with every commission that I take on.

 

ARTISTS PROCEDURE:

1. Our initial meeting will take around half a day and will be conversation based. We will discuss the specific ingredients of the portrait such as; pose, expression , clothes, background, environment, narrative props, composition, lighting, feel, mood etc…I will then take some initial photographs.

2. I will return to my studio and develop an initial compositional rough based around our discussion which I will send to you prior to the next sitting.

3. I will return for 1,2 or 3 sittings of approximately 5 hours each sitting, depending on the complexity of the composition. During the sitting I may well make some sketches and colour notes but I will predominantly be taking photographs.

4. I will return to my studio to paint the portrait which I will deliver upon my completion. So, the actual amount of time that I would require from you would only be around 8-15 hours.

5. Note: Due to the intense detail involved in my work the actual painting process can be quite time consuming (depending on the scale and complexity of the composition.)

 

REFERENCES

Sandy Nairne
Director
National Portrait Gallery
St. Martin’s Place
London WC2H OHE
Telephone 0207 306 0055

Kathleen Soriano
Director of Exhibitions
Royal Academy
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London
W1J 0BD

Sarah Howgate
Contemporary Curator
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place
London WC2H 0HE

 
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