Educational Media Reviews Online

Estimable Scottish sculptor & painter Bill Turnbull (b. 1922) is the subject of this film by his son Alex Turnbull, himself a respected musician and founder of the experimental British band 23 Skidoo. The film beautifully traces Turnbull’s life utilizing archival footage, family pictures and films, and interviews with Turnbull, his first wife, various art contemporaries, critics and collectors.

As an RAF pilot in the Second World War, he immersed himself in painting after his service, but then switched to sculpture. A sojourn in Paris found him crossing paths with Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brâncuși who both left lasting impressions on the young sculptor and whose influence can be seen in many of Turnbull’s works.

A Young Sculptors exhibition in London in 1952 made Turnbull’s name and he subsequently joined the Independent Group, a collective of young artists who anticipated the Pop Art movement several years prior to its emerging in the United States.

Throughout his career, Turnbull has worked continuously in painting and sculpture equally, never considering one more important than the other. The film sheds new light and context on his paintings, though it is his sculpture and its expressive qualities of timelessness and contemplation that have garnered him the most critical accolades.

Narrated by Jude Law and featuring music by 23 Skidoo, the extras on the disc include: Turnbull recalling his early years in Paris; a 10-minute film from 1950 by Turnbull and Allan Forbes shot in black and white and featuring Turnbull’s sculptures; sculptor Brian Wall’s reminiscence of Turnbull and sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi; a brief history of the Independent Group; and a recollection of the Turnbull’s relationship with art critic Clement Greenberg.

Recommended for all libraries.