Tony Evans (1920-2001)
Last updated: 20 December 2006
Artist Tony Evans was best known for his paintings of industrial Wales, but people were always a strong focus.
With the help of Llanelli's Parc Howard Museum and Art Gallery, and his widow Kathleen, we're able to bring you a slideshow of his extraordinary work.
Gallery: Tony's paintings
A Lifetime of Work
It was Tony Evans's own experiences that provided the inspiration for his paintings. He came to painting through his training, and later work as a draughtsman, working in industry.
His early years were spent in Cardiff but following his demobilisation from the RAF in 1946 he worked in various factories across south Wales.
In 1968 Tony moved to Llanelli to live, where his new job was as a production engineer. Away from the drawing board at last, his creativity was unleashed.
He began to paint and his subject was the world of work in Wales.
Carmarthenshire County Council senior museums curator Ann Dorsett said: "His life's work was to capture in his paintings the people of South Wales and a way of life that was vanishing.
"He observed that huge changes were taking place in south Wales's heavy industries after 1945 and he noticed that mechanisation altered working men's direct, manual involvement in their work.
"This was the start of a lifelong interest in researching, drawing and painting people at work.
"He was an exceptional draughtsman who prepared detailed preliminary sketches and historical studies for his finished paintings."
Exploring styles
Some of the bold and monumental workers featured in Tony Evans' paintings bear a fleeting resemblance to those of Josef Herman, whom he knew.
However, Tony Evans' working men and women were always hard at work and represent themselves and their industry, rather than some deeper meaning. He said "the human and the machine are my concerns - without doing a Leger".
your comments
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ray morgan llanelli
I like the work - where can you view it?
Mon Jul 23 10:53:32 2007
John Wynne Hopkins, Llanelli Community heritage
Tony Evans was a great Llanelli and Welsh artist who in his time produced exceptional works. I had the great fortune to see his collection of realistic portraits and figure paintings which are superb.I hope that a book will be produced of this exceptional artists work.
Mon May 14 09:52:22 2007
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