Francis Carr BA, FRSA, AICA 1919 – 2013

Artist, Designer, Teacher, Mentor, Ecologist, Critic

Born Geza Daja Spitzer in Budapest, Hungary changed his name to Francis Peter aka Francis John

Languages: Italian, French, German, English

Studied Law in Hungary for one year in 1937, arrived UK 1938

Studied Graphic Design under John Farleigh and John Minton, Central School of Arts and Crafts 1938 – 1941

Evacuated with other London art students to Northampton School of Art 1940

Married Dorothy Carr, lifelong creative collaborator, adopted her surname 1941

Pioneer Corps, later transferred to Army Intelligence as an Interpreter, 1941-1946

Established Arts & Crafts School in Hamburg for Army personnel 1941 – 1946

Resumed studies Central School of Arts and Crafts, 1946 – 1948

Studied under F.W. Mackenzie, School of Photo-engraving, Bolt Court London 1948

English Degree Open University Course, B.A. Humanities 1976 – 1979

Studied under F.W. Mackenzie, School of Photo-engraving, Bolt Court London 1948

English Degree Open University Course, B.A. Humanities 1976 – 1979

Teaching

Guildford School of Art, visiting Tutor 1948 – ’54

London College of Printing, Screen-printing Tutor 1954 – 1963

Workers’ Education Association (WEA), 1954

Croydon College of Art and Design, visiting Lecturer 1963 – 1966

Hornsey School of Art, Lecturer Advanced Studies / Design 1967 – 1969

Hornsey College of Art, Visiting Lecturer Teacher Training 1969 – 1971

Ravensbourne College of Art, Visiting Lecturer 1971 – 1975

Ravensbourne College of Art, Lecturer 1975 – 1978

Ravensbourne College of Art, Senior Lecturer 1978 -1984

Open University, A 101 Summer School Tutor 1978 – 1983

University of London, Lecturer Extramural Dept. 1979

Magdalene College, Cambridge, visiting Lecturer  1990

Instigator, Organiser, Founder

Society of Mural Artists, member 1960

International Society of Art Critics (AICA), elected member 1978

Artists in Schools Scheme, member 1983

‘Seeing The South’ environmental art competition, Beirut Lebanon, UN 2004 Initiative to redefine war zones, invited onto panel to judge submissions

The Centre for Landscape and Environmental Arts Research (CLEAR) 2006 – 2013

Cumbria Institute of Arts, Carlisle, member of Stakeholders Forum Bequeathed selected publications, reference books, lecture notes, archival 2013 ongoing – Material for the establishment of a new database, CLEAR at Cumbria University

Lectures, Talks, Symposiums

Designed book jackets and illustrations 1950s

Networks, Events & Conferences

Art & Architecture

Public Art and Design for Urban Spaces – schools, housing, municipal

Commissions included:

Magic Garden, New Kings School (Holman Hunt Infant School), New Kings Rd, 1961, Fulham, public artwork, mixed media, tactile mural

Restored by the Artist, Heritage of London Trust &  20th Century Society  2008.

Numerous collaborations with Dorothy Carr   1950 – 1960s

Exeter Generating Station, Exeter, pre-cast decorative concrete wall relief 1964 – 1965

Ind Coope Bottling Hall, Romford, pre-cast decorative concrete wall relief

Stevenage School, Stevenage, pre-cast decorative concrete wall relief

St Martin’s Day Nursery, Upper Tulse Hill, Norwood, ‘artist designed’ 1965 – painted entrance lobby and playground design

Barley Mow Estate, Tower Hamlets, playground design 1965

Cement & Concrete Association, Wexham Springs, Herts., concrete wall relief 1967

Greater London Council (GLC), Dept. of Architecture and Civic Design, 1965 – 1969

Housing Division, Design Consultant, projects include :

GLC, Grove Park Estate, Lewisham,  colourful / decorative brick walls 1966

GLC, Latimer Road Estate, West Kensington, glass and brick screen wall 1968

GLC, Carlton Vale Estate, North Block I, Westminister, decorative brick lobby 1969

GLC, Nightingale Estate, playground design 1969

Londreco Ltd. Food Processing Co., Hayes, Middlesex, artwork stainless steel relief 1981

‘Under Fives’ exhibit, The Design Centre exhibition, central feature ‘play’ sculpture 1968

City of London Festival, Barbican Centre, ‘play’ sculptures 1968

‘Playgrounds’, landscaped play areas in London, Midlands, Scotland 1969 – 1981

‘Play In Tubes’ – ‘artist designed’ own playground equipment, amongst others:- 1978 – ?

‘Play in Tubes’, Highgate Nursery School, first installation 1978

‘Play In Tubes’ , Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, Design Council for Silver Jubilee 1978

‘Play In Tubes’, GLC, playground design for schools using own equipment 1978

‘Play In Tubes’, Extensively in Greenwich 1981

Art & Environment

Public art and design for open spaces, Earthworks – consultant, artist in residence

Commissions include:

Commemorative Area & Sundial earthwork, Port Talbot Tidal Harbour, 1970 royal opening by the Queen, designer 1969

The Tree of Life Stone Maze earthwork, Alatau Mountains, Kazakhstan, 1990

International sculpture symposium at invitation of The Artists Union of former USSR, artist in residence

Paul Findlay Memorial, Highgate Cemetery, private commission 1994

Earth Mound View Point, Gillespie Park, Islington, consultant 1997

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Consultant and Artist in Residence with 1999 – 2003

Landscape and Arts Network during development period of Gunpowder Park, Gnome, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Covent Garden Flower Festival, 2000 collaboration with Andrea Carr, Public Art Commission

Phase 7 Brighton Seafront, Brighton County Council Land Art open submission, 2002 (runner up), collaboration with Andrea Carr & Dorothy Carr (Artslab Inc.)

 

Exhibitions, events, networks 

amongst others:

Artists and Architecture ’67 Exhibition , The Building Centre, London 1967 – devised, organised and exhibited. Sponsored by the

Arts Council of Great Britain

New Organisation, Founder and Chairman 1968 – 1974

Urban Cinema Project, National Film Theatre Festival, South Bank, Events Organiser 1972

A Better Place to Live, Roundhouse, Camden, Conference Organiser 1973

The Landscape and Arts Network, Founder and Chairman 1993 – 2003

The Landscape and Arts Network, Honorary Lifetime President 2004 – 2013

Nightingale Lane Association, set up an organisation for road safety and noise pollution 2004 – 2010, culminated in a larger

neighbour association. In 2013 the first street party Between The Commons was dedicated to his vision and is ongoing.

Instigator, Organiser and Founder – exhibitions, events, networks

Amongst others :

Artists and Architecture ’67 Exhibition , The Building Centre, London 1967 – sponsored by the Arts Council of Great Britain, devised, organised and exhibited

‘New Organisation’, Founder and Chairman 1968 – 1974

Urban Cinema Project, National Film Theatre Festival, South Bank, Events Organiser 1972

A Better Place to Live, Roundhouse, Camden, Conference Organiser 1973

The Landscape and Arts Network, Founder and Chairman 1993 – 2003

The Landscape and Arts Network, Honorary Lifetime President 2004 – 2013

Nightingale Lane Association, set up an organisation for road safety and noise pollution 2004 – 2010, culminated in a larger neighbour association. In 2013 the first street party Between The Commons was dedicated to his vision 2013 ongoing

Solo Exhibition 1970 – 2000

Amongst others :

Fitzroy Gallery, London

Slidescape, New Gallery, London, installation 1972

Installation, Ducketts Common, London, installation 1973

The Living City, Handcock Gallery, London, drawings, prints, collage 1990

Retrospective 1950 – 1992, The Building Centre, Store Street, London 1993, with an illustrated talk during the exhibition  “Building, Architecture, Art”

Visions and Projects, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, York. touring exhibition 1997

Homeless, Oval, London

Selected Group Exhibitions

Artists of Fame and Promise, Leicester Gallery, London 1950

Serigraph show, Folio Society, Mayfair, Francis Peter aka Francis Carr, 1956

Dorothy Carr, John Griffiths, Serigraph prints

Public Eye, Kunsthalle, Hamberg 1968

City of London Festival 1968

Air Event, Liverpool School of Architecture, Liverpool, installation 1970

Visions Projects Proposals, Midland Group Gallery, Nottingham 1972

The Mechanised Image, Arts Council of Great Britian, screen prints 1978

The Screenprint, The National Gallery of Canberra, Australia 1983

A D Fine Art, Concourse Gallery, Barbican Centre 1992

Art for Sale, Whiteley Gallery,  London 1992

London Print Fair, The Air Gallery, Dover Street, with Dorothy Carr 1997

The Creative Screen,  Eckersley Gallery, London College of Printing 2002

Extensive silkscreen and serigraph print exhibitions with Dorothy Carr

Collections

Neil Jennings…represented in the collections of…, agent

The Arts Council of Great Britian, The British Museum, Department. of Prints and Drawings,

The Victoria and Albert Museum , Department of Prints and Drawings, The Imperial War Museum,

Leeds City Art Gallery, Football Museum Manchester, The National Transport Museum,

National Gallery of Art Canberra Australia, Huntarian Musuim Glasgow,

The Museum of Labour, Private Collections UK, Australia,, France, Japan, USA.

Publications

A Guide to Screen Process Printing, London Vista Books 1961

Numerous technical articles, book reviews and art critics,

Represented on

The Designer Selection Service, The Design Council, Long Acre Index, The Arts Council, Artists in Schools Scheme (1983)