John Aldridge RA 1905 - 1983

John Aldridge was born in Woolwich. Member of the 7 & 5 Society 1931–4, his first exhibition with the society was in 1931 at the Leicester Galleries on the invitation of Ben Nicholson. Settled at Great Bardfield, Essex, and had first one-man exhibition at the Leicester Galleries 1933. Became associated with East Anglian painters John Nash, Cedric Morris and Edward Bawden in designing wall-papers in 1938. In 1949 William Coldstream invited him to teach at the Slade School of Art where he remained 1970. Elected RA in 1964. Established an international reputation by exhibiting at the Venice Biennale in 1934. Grosvenor Galleries showed his work in 1971, in 1975 retrospective exhibition at Miriam and Michael Webber's Radlett Gallery in Hertfordshire. The Tate Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, Contemporary Art Society, National Portrait Gallery and many other public collections hold examples of his work.