We continue to get many phone calls and emails regarding the tragic passing away of UK contemporary artist Govinder Nazran on Christmas Day 2008.
(Leopold by Govinder Nazran)
It touches me that so many people are so heart felt about his passing: some may have met him only once at a gallery appearance and others had never met him and enjoyed his work through viewing his images online or having bought pieces over the years.
From my experience, those that collected his art varied from young students right up to retired people and that is a testament as to how his work ‘connected’ with so many different types of people.
I was digging in the archives and found a snippet that charts, all be it briefly, his career from 1980, where he started his studies in Graphic Design, up to being signed by Washington Green in 1999 and becoming as a professional artist. These are his own words:
(Willy Winterbottom by Govinder Nazran)
“My art training began in Bradford in the North of England, where I studied Graphic Design from 1980-1983. After that I then went on to study for a Higher Diploma in Graphic Design, specialising in illustration, at Lincoln Art College.
Once I completed all my formal training I decided to move to London, approaching all of the major city publishers with my portfolio. It was there that I worked on illustrations for children’s books, and after 6 months moved to Cambridge where I continued working as a freelance illustrator.
Upon moving back to my home town of Saltaire in West Yorkshire, I took up the position of designer for a greetings card company, which involved all aspects of product design and development. Following that I became a photographic art director, directing fashion shoots all over the world. I did this for the next year or so until 1993, when I decided to swap my hectic photographic job and lifestyle, for a quieter life back in Saltaire. I spent the next five years here, working freelance on card designs with major publishing companies.
It wasn’t until 1999 that I decided to enter the fine art market and approached Washington Green with my portfolio.”
(Elvis, Sculpture by Govinder Nazran)
Over Govinder’s near 10 year career with Washington Green, they have published over 180 of his work, including sculptures and more recently his work has been put into cufflink designs.
I would say Govinder has been one of the top 5 published artists of the last 10 years
He will be sadly missed but never forgotten.
Messages of condolence may be sent to his publisher at C/O:
Jo Colley,
Washington Green,
44 Upper Gough Street,
Birmingham,
B1 1JL
United Kingdom
Thank you
James
What is Contemporary Art?, See Links below:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_art
-Article 1
-Article 2
