Biography

Paul Feiler

Born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany Paul Feiler arrived in England in 1933. A painter originally of representational, but later of abstract work. Feiler attended the Slade School of Art, 1936-39 and taught at the combined colleges of Radley and Eastbourne until the end of the war and at the West of England College of Art from 1946 where he was elected as Head of Painting 1963-75. He became associated with the St. Ives School of Painters in 1949 and settled in Stanhope Forbe's old studio at Kerris near Newlyn in 1953 the year of his first solo exhibition at the Redfern Gallery. A retrospective was held at Tate St. Ives 1996. The precision acquired during his Slade training is evident in Paul Feiler's work. It has long been abstract but, like most St. Ives painting, is inspired by landscape. He even describes his aims in neo-romantic terms: the scale of slopes to each other and their tonal relationships which should convey their physical nearness to the spectator and the overall colour and texture should supply 'the emotional overtones of the personality of the place.’ Feiler’s work is held by Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums, Arts Council and many galleries in both the UK and abroad.