Latest Work by Andrew Lanyon

March 2023

Andrew Lanyon is an artist son of the esteemed St Ives and Newlyn artist of the St Ives and Newlyn’s artist George Peter Lanyon, and grandson of Herbert Lanyon, the important photographer-recorder of the St Ives colony of artists from the earliest days. Andrew wears this family mantel with great wit and charm, creating pithy and witty works of art in sculpture, found objects and collages, and tells their stories in fiction laced with allegory. 

His work, both in books and in various media forms, is eagerly sought by collectors and museums. “Von Ribbentrop” in St Ives was an exhibition and a book by Andrew Lanyon. The exhibition was then at Kettles Yard, Cambridge, until September 2011. It includes works by Andrew Lanyon, his father, Alfred Wallis, Ben Nicholson, Alexander Calder and Naum Gabo, archival material, interactive models and specially commissioned works by Paul Chaney, Kenny Everett, Olly Hatfield, Chris James, Sam Lanyon, Peter Mates, Debbie Prosser, Paul Spooner, Stella Turk and Carlos Zapata. 

Andrew’’s biography of his father is a masterpiece of handwork, with over a hundred tipped-in illustrations and personal touches. A list is currently being prepared of all of his publications, many of which are catalogued into the WCAA collection by donation.

In 2010, at Kestle Barton on the Lizard, Andrew presented a solo show of installations, paintings, writings with an accompanying book, Von Ribbentrop in St Ives, Art and War in the Last Resort. Following the opening, a show consisting of home-made films, videos, accompanying and specially written songs, and a fascinating lecture by historian and author Frederick Taylor (Dresden 2004: Bloomsbury Publ) completed the ‘exhibition experience’. 

Andrew is expert at the full multi-media presentation of the art in life, and the lives in art and history. Without doubt, he is the most unusual and original talent in West Cornwall today (and perhaps in the universe… ed. & Lionel Miskin agrees: we reely, reely like him!). The landscape of Cornwall remains the prime inspiration for his work which is now far from realism, with an emotional intensity that is self-evident. He now works mainly in mixed media - emulsions, acrylic and oils.