Gary Sargeant M.A.
Early Years
Gary Sargeant was born in Abergele, North Wales in 1939, but spent most of his formulative years in and around London. As a youth, Gary was befriended by artists Nellie Lapwood and Austin Osman Spare. The couple widened Gary's opportunities by taking him under their wing, introducing him to the life class at Sir John Cass College at the age of fourteen.
In 1958/9, while still a student, he worked in the theatrical workshops of Edward Delaney, assisting in the designing and painting of stage sets of productions performed at; The London Palladium, Sadlers Wells Ballet, The Royal Festival Hall and Covent Garden Opera House.
60's
He began full time employment with ABC Television in 1960 as a design assistant, leaving the same year and moving to Newcastle upon Tyne where he was employed by Tyne Tees Television as a designer.
In 1965 he was given leave of absence to take up an award of residency at the Michael Karolyi Memorial Foundation, 'Le vieux mas', Alpes Maritimes in the South of France, only six of these international awards are made annually.
Laurence Stephen Lowry visited the Sargeant's Durham city home in 1966 on the recommendation of the film director Robert Tyrrell. The two painters then had a common subject matter of Industrial Landscape.
In 1968 Gary was appointed Lecturer in Television and Graphic Design in The Audio Visual Centre, University of Hull and was promoted to University Designer, retiring in 1984 because of ill health, registered blind 1995.
Present Day
Sargeant was 'rediscovered' in 2003 a year in which his reputation received a massive boost both nationally and internationally. Major one man exhibitions were held at, The House of Commons, London, sponsored by the Rt. Hon. John Prescott M.P Deputy Prime Minister, and the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium sponsored by Richard Corbett M.E.P.
Extra-sensory perfection: The British artist who conquers his blindness to create extaordinary paintings - Sunday Times
Extended reviews of the artists work were published in the 'Sunday Times' colour magazine, words by Peter Watson, photographs by Steve Pyke and 'Saga' colour magazine, words by Michael Wright.
The following quotation from the 'Saga' piece sums up the artists ongoing process;
Gary Sargeant, a blind man who has refused to allow physical disabilities to interfere with his inspirational and vivid life as one of Britons greatest artists.
View the complete article from the Sunday Times here.
Nicholas-Pierre Riefel, Director General of the European Parliament Administration, confirmed the purchase of Gary's work for the Parliament. Richard Corbett M.E.P said;
It's a testament to the quality of Gary's work that the President of the Parliament himself selected the painting after visiting Sargeant's exhibition, September 2003. Now Gary's unique image will permanently commemorate the success of 2003 as the European Year of Disabled People
The Rt. Hon. Estelle Morris MP, Minister for Culture, visited Gary's studio in Beverley, East Yorkshire, in 2004 to see and feel the artist's tactile work first hand. Sargeant hoped the meeting would promote artists living with visual impairment and other disabilities to create equal opportunities for all.
