Patrick James Woodroffe (27 October 1940 – 10 May 2014) was an
English artist, etcher and drawer, who specialised in
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
science-fiction artwork, with images that bordered on the surreal. His achievements include several collaborations with well-known musicians, two bronze sculptures displayed in Switzerland and numerous books.
Chronology
Woodroffe was born in
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. In the 15th century, the town became an economic hub of the old West Riding of Yorkshire, primarily in woo ...
, in 1940, the son of an electrical engineer.
[*Woodroffe, Patrick (1986), 1986 ''A Closer Look (at the art and techniques of Patrick Woodroffe)'' Published by Paper Tiger
]
In 1964 he graduated in
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
at the
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...
, before going on to exhibit his first showing of pen and ink drawings, ''Conflict'', at the
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. However he did not become a full-time artist until 1972, the year in which he gave an exhibit of his paintings, etchings and related works at the
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
Gallery in London.
His career took off when he was asked to produce approximately 90 book cover paintings between 1973 and 1976 for Corgi, including Peter Valentine Timlett's ''The Seedbearers'' (1975) and
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominatio ...
's ''Nine Princes in Amber'' (1974). During this early period he was also commissioned to provide art for record album cover sleeves, including
heavy metal band
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
's album ''
Sad Wings of Destiny
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it suc ...
'' (1976). This was followed by an exhibition of book-jacket and record-sleeve paintings in 1976, which appeared at
Mel Calman
Melville Calman (19 May 1931 – 10 February 1994) was a British cartoonist best known for his "little man" cartoons published in British newspapers including the '' Daily Express'' (1957–63), '' The Sunday Telegraph'' (1964–65), '' The ...
's Workshop Gallery in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. That year the children's book ''Micky's New Home'' was published with illustrations by Woodroffe. In 1978 he mounted an exhibition of more than two hundred works at the historic
Piece Hall
The Piece Hall is a Grade I listed building in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell the woollen cloth "pieces" they had produced.
History
The earliest known reference to the new Piece ...
in Halifax.
In 1979, Woodroffe then went on to create illustrations for ''
The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony: The Birth and Death of a World'' (later shortened to 'The Pentateuch'), a joint project with the symphonic
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
musician
Dave Greenslade
David John Greenslade (born 18 January 1943) is an English composer and keyboard player. He has played with Colosseum from the beginning in 1968 until the farewell concert in 2015 and also from 1973 in his own band, Greenslade, and others incl ...
. ''The Pentateuch'' purports to be the first five chapters of an alien
Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...
. The album consisted of two discs by Greenslade, and a 47-page book of Woodroffe's illustrations. The record sold over 50,000 copies between 1979 and 1984.
The illustrations were shown at the World Science Fiction Convention, at
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
's Metropole Hotel in 1979. In 1976, his illustrated book ''The Adventures of Tinker the Hole Eating Duck'' was published by Dragon's World.
In 1983 he created an album sleeve for the rock band
Pallas
Pallas may refer to:
Astronomy
* 2 Pallas asteroid
** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas
* Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon
Mythology
* Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena
* Pa ...
, as well as related logos for merchandise.
The same year saw Woodroffe creating art (including representations of a ''
Snark
Snark may refer to:
Fictional creatures
* Snark (Lewis Carroll), a fictional animal species in Lewis Carroll's ''The Hunting of the Snark'' (1876)
* Zn'rx, a race of fictional aliens in Marvel Comics publications, commonly referred to as "Snarks ...
'' - a subject traditionally taboo for an artist to do) for composer
Mike Batt
Michael Philip Batt (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He served as the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Batt created the novelty pop band T ...
's 1984 musical adaptation of
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
's poem ''
The Hunting of the Snark
''The Hunting of the Snark'', subtitled ''An Agony, in Eight Fits'', is a poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. Written between 1874 and 1876, it borrows the setting, some creatures, and eig ...
''.
The 1980s also saw another Patrick Woodroffe exhibition, ''Catching the Myth'', at
Folkestone
Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
's Metropole Arts Centre (1986), which featured 122 pieces selected from twenty years of work. In 1989 he prepared for conceptual art used in the film ''
The NeverEnding Story II''.
Through the 1990s and 2000s he continued to work on numerous other projects including a sculpture at Gruyères Castle in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, based on his earlier picture ''The Vicious Circle'' (1979). The project is designed to show war as a closed circle of absurd, self-destructive futility. He continued to hold exhibitions, his latest work including a recent exhibition at Sainte Barbe, in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
He resided with his family in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, where he had lived since 1964.
Pallas
Pallas may refer to:
Astronomy
* 2 Pallas asteroid
** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas
* Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon
Mythology
* Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena
* Pa ...
released a statement in response to the news of Woodroffe's death,
saying "We have some very sad news from the family of Patrick Woodroffe: 'After a short illness, Patrick died before 3am in the early hours of Saturday morning.' Our thoughts are with his family. We are honoured to have been associated with his amazing artwork."
He had succumbed to a long illness on 10 May 2014, aged 73.
Technique
His work has included drawings, copper etching, painting and sculpture.
Woodroffe has developed a variety of resourceful techniques to produce natural-media artwork over the years, including a method for colouring etchings and Indian ink drawings using oil paint. The method requires applying a barrier layer of
liquin to the drawing or etching. This layer must be allowed to dry thoroughly before the oil colour is applied in thin glazes.
Tomographs
Woodroffe's work also includes ''Tomographs'' (not to be confused with the
medical scan - according to his book ''A Closer Look'' Woodroffe believed he had invented the word in the seventies from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
words for 'cut' and 'drawing', until he found out about the medical usage). These are photographs that combine actual objects with cut-outs of his paintings (for example in one Tomograph, Patrick is seen 'feeding' a cut-out picture of an anthropomorphic
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
with peanuts from his hand).
The picture on the front of his project ''The Forget-me-not-Gardener'' is a Tomograph.
Selected works
Musical sleeve art
*
Strawbs
The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
They are best known for their hi ...
, ''
Burning for You
''Burning for You'' is the eleventh studio album by English band Strawbs, with cover art by Patrick Woodroffe.
Recording
The producer of the album Jeffrey Lesser was, according to songwriter/singer Dave Cousins, "...a great engineer but didn' ...
'' (1977)
*
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, ''
Emperor Concerto
The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the Emperor Concerto in English-speaking countries, is a piano concerto composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven composed the concerto in 1809 under salary in Vienna, and he dedicated ...
'' (1974)
*Ross, ''
RSO Records
RSO Records was a record label formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood and record executive Al Coury in 1973. The letters "RSO" stood for the Robert Stigwood Organisation.
RSO managed the careers of several ma ...
'' (1974)
*
Greenslade
Greenslade were an English progressive rock band, formed in the autumn of 1972 by keyboard player Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves, with keyboardist Dave Lawson and drummer Andrew McCulloch.
History
The band made their live de ...
, ''
Time and Tide'' (1975)
*
Greenslade
Greenslade were an English progressive rock band, formed in the autumn of 1972 by keyboard player Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves, with keyboardist Dave Lawson and drummer Andrew McCulloch.
History
The band made their live de ...
, ''Greenslade 2'' (1975) - preliminary artwork only, the album was never recorded.
*
Budgie, ''
Bandolier
A bandolier / bandoleer or a bando is a pocketed belt (clothing), belt for holding either individual Cartridge (firearms), cartridges, belt (firearms), belts of ammunition or United States 40 mm grenades, grenades. It is usually slung sash-styl ...
'' (1975) - a take on ''
Planet of the Apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
'' with horse riders with budgie heads
*
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
, ''
Sad Wings of Destiny
''Sad Wings of Destiny'' is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it suc ...
'' (1976)
*
Dave Greenslade
David John Greenslade (born 18 January 1943) is an English composer and keyboard player. He has played with Colosseum from the beginning in 1968 until the farewell concert in 2015 and also from 1973 in his own band, Greenslade, and others incl ...
, ''
The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony'' (1979)
*
Pallas
Pallas may refer to:
Astronomy
* 2 Pallas asteroid
** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas
* Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon
Mythology
* Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena
* Pa ...
, ''
The Sentinel'' (1983)
*
Mike Batt
Michael Philip Batt (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He served as the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Batt created the novelty pop band T ...
, ''The Hunting of the Snark'' (1984)
*
Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, six DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo ...
. ''
Fright Night
''Fright Night'' is a 1985 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Holland, in his directorial debut. The film follows teenager Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale), who discovers that his next-door neighbor Je ...
'' (1989)
*Aragon, ''Don't Bring A Rain (limited edition picture CD)'' (1990)
The sleeves from the first copies of the following albums were replaced because of unauthorized use of Patrick Woodroffe's artwork.
*
DJ Tiësto
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
, ''
Magik One: First Flight'' (1997)
*DJ Tiësto, ''
Magik Two: Story of the Fall'' (1997)
*DJ Tiësto, ''
Magik Three: Far from Earth'' (1998)
*DJ Tiësto, ''
Magik Four: A New Adventure'' (1999)
Sculptures
*''Le Bouclier de Mars'' (1993),
Gruyères Castle
*''Le Bouclier de Vénus'' (1996), Gruyères Castle
Film
*''The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'' conceptual art (1988–89)
Art projects
*''Mythopœikon'' (Dragon's World, 1977), a collection of Woodroffe's work from 1965 to 1976 (the title is his own coinage, meaning ''myth-making images'')
*''
The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony'' (1978/9), art work to accompany
Dave Greenslade
David John Greenslade (born 18 January 1943) is an English composer and keyboard player. He has played with Colosseum from the beginning in 1968 until the farewell concert in 2015 and also from 1973 in his own band, Greenslade, and others incl ...
's album of the same name. This was originally published in an LP-sized hardcover book, with the vinyl records inside the covers.
*''Pallas: The Sentinel'' (1983), art work for
Pallas
Pallas may refer to:
Astronomy
* 2 Pallas asteroid
** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas
* Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon
Mythology
* Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena
* Pa ...
's album of the same name, merchandise, logos and follow up work
*''Hunting of the Snark'' (1983/4), art work and models to accompany
Mike Batt
Michael Philip Batt (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He served as the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Batt created the novelty pop band T ...
's musical version of
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
's
famous nonsense poem
*''Hallelujah Anyway'' (
Paper Tiger
"Paper tiger" is a calque of the Chinese phrase ''zhǐlǎohǔ'' ( zh, s=纸老虎, t=紙老虎). The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful or threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand ch ...
, 1984), a collection of original art (including many tomographs) and poetry.
*During the summer 1984 Woodroffe produced a series of pictures of farmyard life and farm animals.
*''The Forget-Me-Not-Gardener'' (2005), a recent collection of art
Books
As well as providing cover-art for numerous authors, Woodroffe has also produced books on his art techniques (such as ''A Closer Look at the art and techniques of Patrick Woodroffe'', 1986) and ''Mythopoeikon'', published by
Paper Tiger Books
Paper Tiger Books was a British publishing house which focused primarily on books of modern art, specifically the visionary, the fantastic, and science fiction, and an imprint of Dragons World Ltd. It was started in 1976 by Hubert Schaafsma and b ...
(1976)().
References
*Woodroffe, Patrick (1986), 1986 ''A Closer Look (at the art and techniques of Patrick Woodroffe)'' Published by Paper Tiger
External links
Patrick Woodroffe's web page containing information on his art, life, exhibitions past and present and art projects.
in ''
The West Briton
''The West Briton'' is a local weekly newspaper published every Thursday. It serves various areas of Cornwall in the United Kingdom: there are four separate editions – Truro and mid-Cornwall; Falmouth and Penryn; Redruth, Camborne and Hayle; ...
''
Obituaryin ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' by
Marcus Williamson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodroffe, Patrick
1940 births
20th-century English painters
English male painters
21st-century English painters
British fantasy artists
English speculative fiction artists
2014 deaths
Alumni of the University of Leeds
British science fiction artists
20th-century English male artists
21st-century English male artists