Eric Austwick

Epithet: Artist (1913-1995)

Record type: Photographs

Biography: Born in Morley, West Yorkshire in 1913, at the age of 14 he moved to the island where his family ran a small Market Garden in Maughold. It was here that he saw the intricate Celtic crosses which influenced much of his work In 1930, he studied under Archibald Knox at the Douglas School of Art, where he decided to go into art as a career. A man of many talents, he was a cartoonist, carpet designer, sculptor, poet, painter and book critic.

He was a founding member of the Ellynyn ny Gael Society, and was asked by that society to design a Mananan Trophy to be awarded
to contributors of Manx and Celtic Culture. It was awarded to Eric himself in 1978.

He suffered from chronic ill-health, receiving little formal education and registering as disabled in 1958. From 1988 onwards his eyesight also deteriorated rapidly, limiting him to a thin tunnel of vision by the end of his life which his relatives described as frustrating for a man so invested in visual art. In 1995 he was taken ill for the final time and died in Ramsey Cottage Hospital.

Occupation / profession: Artist

Gender: Male

Date of birth: 1913

Date of death: 1995

Comments

He is a distant relative of my wife. We are researching family history. Suggest he was born in Dec 1912 - see BDM website? - jim morrell Report this

Thanks Jim for sharing, I've sent you an email. Cheers again, Jude. - Jude Dicken Report this