Frank Nelson - Curriculum Vitae
| Born | Blackpool 1930 |
|---|---|
| 1944-1947 | Blackpool Art School |
| 1947-1961 | Design and Development work - Aircraft Industry, TVR Sports Cars. |
| 1961-1975 | Self employed model-maker (film & theatre props, exports etc) |
| 1976-1999 | Professional woodcarver / automata maker / conservator / visiting lecturer |
| 2003-2006 | Leeds Met.University. Oldest student to obtain BA in Visual Arts. |
Exhibitions summary
| 1979 | The Serpentine Gallery, London. “The Summer Show” |
|---|---|
| The Peterloo Gallery, Manchester. “Funfair” |
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| 1980 | Parnham House, Dorset. “Frank Nelson. Automata” |
The Beaford Centre, Devon. “Frank Nelson. Automata” |
| 1981 | Red Rose Guild, Manchester. "Annual Exhibition" |
| National Centre for Contemporary Art, Sunderland. “The Wood Exhibition” |
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| 1982 | The Crafts Council, London. “The Maker’s Eye” |
| Parnham House, Dorset. “International Woodcarver’s Exhibition” |
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| Carlisle City Art Gallery. “Presences of Nature” |
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| Mostyn City Art Gallery, Clwyd. “One Good Turn” (touring) |
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| Glyn Vivian Gallery, Swansea. “Frank Nelson, Automata” |
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| Fermoy Centre, Norfolk. “Frank Nelson, Automata” |
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| Grundy House Museum, Blackpool. “Frank Nelson, Automata” |
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| 1983 | 3-Year Craftman in Residence, Cleveland. |
| Travel Award Grant: to visit woodcarvers in Germany |
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| Leinster Fine Art Gallery, London. "Tribute to Edward Lucie-Smith" |
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| 1985 | Camden Arts Centre, London. “Frank Nelson Automata” |
| 1986 | Cleveland Craft Centre, Middlesbrough. “Frank Nelson Automata” |
| Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool. “Mixed Wood” |
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| 1987 | Parnham House, Dorset. “The Summer Exhibition” |
| Resident Consultant at the Automata Museum, York. | |
| 1988 | The Atheneum, Manchester City Art Gallery. “End of the Pier Show” |
| 1989 | NCCA Touring Exhibition. “The Circus Comes to Town” |
| 1990 | Manchester City Art Gallery. “Springing to Life” |
| 1991 | The Howarth Art Gallery, Accrington. “Frank Nelson’s Automata” |
| 1992 | The South Bank Centre, London. “Automata” |
| 1994 | The Atkinson Gallery, Southport. “Calder Rural Artists Group” |
| Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge. “Kinetics and Automata” |
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| Munich International Centre, Germany. “Kunstterisches Spielzeug” |
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| The Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne. “Cams, Cogs and Moving Things” |
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| Piece Hall Gallery, Halifax. “Mechanical Magic” |
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| Hitchcocks Gallery, Bath. “The Birds and the Bees” |
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| Bersham Heritage Centre, Clwyd. “Mechanical Toys” |
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| 1995 | Cuppola Gallery, Sheffield. “Automata” |
| Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge. “Art on the Move” |
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| Huddersfield Art Gallery & Museum “Frank Nelson and his Automata” |
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| The Museum of Automata, York. “The Magic of Automata” |
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| 1996 | The Craft Centre, Leeds City Art Gallery “Rings and Moving Things” |
| The Museum of Automata, York. “The Magic of Automata” |
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| Hitchcocks Gallery, Bath. “Wild Things” |
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| Chester City Art Gallery “Jitterbugs” |
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| The Towner Gallery and Museum, Eastbourne. “Frank Nelson” |
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| Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax. “Frank Nelson Automata” |
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| Number Seven Gallery, Totnes. “A Moveable Feast” |
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| The Cloisters, Chichester Festival “Frank Nelson” |
Citations
Hanson, N. 1982. Presences of Nature. Pub. Carlisle City Art Gallery/Arts Council
Lucie-Smith, E. 1980. Art in the Seventies. Phaidon Press
Peppe, R. 2002. Automata and Mechanical Toys. The Crowood Press, Wiltshire.
Hesketh, D. 2005. Penny-in-the-slot automata and the working model. Robert Hale, London.
