Brayane Herbert Wynter (8 September 1915 – 2 February 1975)[1] was one of the St. Ives group of British painters. His work was mainly abstract, drawing upon nature for inspiration.
He settled in Zennor, Cornwall, in 1945, and in 1946 was co-founder of the Crypt Group. He married Suzanne Lethbridge, daughter of the writer Mabel Lethbridge whom he met in Cornwall. He taught at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, from 1951 to 1956. He was a member of the London Group of artists, and of the Penwith Society of Arts. He died at Penzance, Cornwall. His auction record is £131,000 for his painting In the Streams Path (1958), set at Sotheby's on 11 November 2016.[2] The work had been acquired by the pop star David Bowie in 1995 at the sale of the collection of Sir John Moores.
In 2001 he was the subject of Bryan Wynter: A Selected RetrospectiveatTate St Ives.[3]
Some of his most remarkable works are constructions which he titled IMOOS (Images Moving Out Onto Space). Using a parabolic mirror, he would hang contrasting pairs of painted shapes, which rotated freely. Their reversed reflections enlarged, appearing to move in opposite directions.[1]
Bryan Wynter 1915-1975: catalogue of an exhibition 16 October – 15 November 2002, introduction by Mel Gooding. Jonathan Clark Fine Art, London, 2002. - Gooding gives a deep analysis of the influences on Wynter, including his friendship with Patrick Heron. However, there is little biographical material in the three A4 pages. Bibliographical notes. 16 works illustrated in colour.
Bryan Wynter (St.Ives Artists series) by Chris Stephens. Tate Gallery Publishing (1999) ISBN1-85437-293-9
