Peter Reddick

Peter Reddick was born in Ilford, Essex, in 1924. Both his parents were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and he too joined the Society at 16. He registered as a conscientious objector in 1942 and spent the War doing land work. He trained at the Cardiff School of Art between 1947 and 1948. He then spent three years at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and a further year at the London College of Printing in 1959. He was Lecturer in Design at Kumasi College of Technology, Ghana 1960 – 62. Between 1963 and 1967 he was a Lecturer at Glasgow School of Art and then held the post of Senior Lecturer at Bristol Polytechnic between 1967 and 1989.

He was a founder member of Bristol Artspace  and sat on the Management Committee of Spike Print Studio (formerly Spike Island Printmakers) until his death in 2010. Peter was one of the country’s leading wood engravers and printmakers; he also made watercolours and coloured woodcuts. He illustrated a number of books for the Folio Society (particularly the work of Thomas Hardy and Anthony Trollope), the Limited Editions Club, New York, The Readers Digest amongst other publishers. His influences as a student were the English Romantic engravers and the work of Blair Hughes Stanton, Gertrude Hermes, Edward Bawden and particularly Eric Ravilious and his early work.

He was made Gregynog Arts Fellow between 1979 and 1980 and the work he made during that year was sponsored by the Welsh Arts Council on a tour that went to twelve different locations ending in Cardiff.

In 1988-1990 his retrospective exhibition toured six venues in Wales. In 1996 his work was featured in an exhibition at All Saints Library, Manchester University. As well as the RWA he regularly exhibited with the Society of Wood Engravers.

Manchester Metropolitan University’s archive collection holds a great range of his developmental prints and original sketches as well as some editioned prints, original artwork in other media and some associated correspondence. The archive collection is a resource of national significance for the study of twentieth century book illustration, art and design and textile design.