Stanley William HayterPage 1/1
1901 - 1988
Hayter originally studied chemistry and geology at London University, then worked in the oil industry in the Persian Gulf for several years before settling in Paris in 1926. Here he studied briefly at the Academie Julian, and in 1927 he founded an experimental workshop for the graphic arts - Atelier 17 - which played a central role in the 20th-century revival of the print as in independent art form. In the 40s and 50s Hayter divided his time between New York and Paris before settling in France. Hayter's training as a chemist gave him an unrivalled knowledge of the technicalities of printmaking, on which he wrote two major books, New Ways of Gravure (1949) and About Ptints (1962). Although his historical importance has long been acknowledged (probably no modern British artist has been so influential internationally), he was uninterested in self-promotion and his work was little exhibited in his lifetime. However, his obituary in the Guardian described him as 'by far the finest British printmaker of this century'. His prints are varied in technique and style, but most characteristically are influenced by the abstract vein of Surrealism and are notable for their experiments with texture and colour.
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