Norman Adams' legacy is that of a visionary painter whose works continue to evoke a deep spiritual resonance, bridging the gap between the sacred and the natural world.
Born in London, Norman Adams showed early artistic promise and began his studies at Harrow School of Art at the age of 13. He later attended the Royal College of Art following a brief period of military service, which was cut short when he registered as a conscientious objector. His experience in prison during this time convinced him that art must carry a message, something he later described as "religious in the broadest sense."
Adams' work is part of a rich tradition of romantic visionary painting in Britain, drawing close parallels to the works of earlier English painters like Blake and Turner. He admired Blake's poetic intensity and integrity, despite recognizing Blake's lack of feeling for paint, and sought to fuse these qualities with a deep connection to nature.
Throughout his career, Adams was influenced by the German expressionists, such as Kirchner and Nolde, and the Belgian artists Permeke and Ensor. Van Gogh, however, became a significant influence later in his life, particularly for his intensity of vision.
After teaching at St Albans art school and working on ballet decor and costumes for Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden, Adams moved to the countryside, where he felt a deeper connection to the elemental landscape. He and his wife Anna eventually settled in Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales, where he built a studio that overlooked the Pennine Way. The purity and raw beauty of these landscapes, as well as the Outer Hebrides and Provence, profoundly influenced his work.
Adams' paintings are a blend of poetic and personal vision with acute observation. His early watercolors, depicting atmospheric landscapes, culminated in larger oil paintings exhibited in 1966. A visit to Italy that year, where he encountered Giotto's frescoes, led to a series of paintings inspired by religion, mythology, and mysticism. These works, while admired, were often seen as esoteric due to their complex symbolism.
In the 1970s, Adams created murals and ceramic reliefs for various churches, including the Stations of the Cross for St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Manchester. These works achieved a unity between traditional religious imagery and his earlier pantheistic vision of nature.
Adams was a prolific artist, producing numerous oil paintings and watercolors each year, with his works being widely exhibited. He held senior teaching positions at Manchester and Newcastle before becoming the keeper of the Royal Academy Schools in 1986 and later, the professor of painting from 1995 to 2000.
Norman Adams' legacy is that of a visionary painter whose works continue to evoke a deep spiritual resonance, bridging the gap between the sacred and the natural world.
