RobertBryan Charles KnealeMBE RA (born 19 June 1930[1]) is aManxartist andsculptor, described byBBC News Online as "one of theIsle of Man's best known artists."[2]
Born in the island's capital,Douglas,[3] Kneale studied painting at theDouglas School of Art, from which he graduated in 1947, and then moved toLondon, to study at theRoyal Academy Schools.[4] In 1948, he won theRome Prize and spent some time living inItaly.[3] During the 1950s, he learnedwelding, and in 1960 took to sculpture in preference to painting, and became a teacher.[3]
He has taught atHornsey College of Art and Design, and from 1963 until his retirement from teaching in 1995 he taught sculpture at theRoyal College of Art.[4] He was also Master and later Professor of Sculpture at theRoyal Academy between 1982 and 1990.[1] In addition to his teaching, numerous exhibitions of his own painting and sculpture work have been held since 1953,[3] and his works are displayed in countries such asAustralia,Brazil,England,New Zealand and theUnited States.[3] In the US, theMuseum of Modern Art inNew York City includes examples of his work amongst its public collections[1] and in England his work is displayed atManchester Art Gallery.
He was awarded aLeverhulme Trust Prize in 1952, as well as theDaily Express Young Painters' Prize (1955) and anArts Council Purchase Award (1969).[4] After a successful solo show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1966, Kneale became the first abstract sculptor to be elected a Royal Academician in 1974. He accepted the honour only on the condition that he be allowed to curate a show of contemporary sculpture which resulted in a groundbreaking survey of some of the period's most exciting sculptors.
Kneale is the younger brother of thescreenwriterNigel Kneale (1922–2006),[5] best known for hisQuatermass television serials. Kneale illustrated the covers forPenguin Books' releases of his elder brother'sQuatermass scripts in 1960.[6] He was also responsible for a painting of alobster from whichBBCspecial effects designersBernard Wilkie andJack Kine drew their inspiration for theMartian creatures they constructed forQuatermass and the Pit (1958–59).[7]
For his sculptureCapt Quilliam, he received the 2007Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.[8] He was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2019 New Year Honours, for services to British Art.[9]
He currently[when?] lives inLondon.[4]
