Frank Walter (painter)
Frank Walter (born on 11. September 1926 as Francis Archibald Wentworth Walter on Horsford Hill, Antigua , died on 11. February 2009 ) was a painter, photographer, sculptor and philosopher. He is considered one of the most famous painters in the Caribbean. He painted landscapes, portraits and also abstract pictures. Representative exhibitions around the world probably came about after his death, including an exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt am Main in 2020.
Life
Frank Walter studied agriculture in Antigua. As a farmer (at the age of 22) he ran a sugar cane plantation there. In the course of his life he was confronted with statements that some of his ancestors were aristocrats from Africa; some also from European nobility (England; Germany). Indeed, after his training in Antigua, he belonged to the ruling class, despite the color of his skin and the racial barriers under which he suffered at the same time. He didn't want to allow anyone to say who he had to be.
After his younger cousin Jules Walter, who also lives in Antigua, Frank was a "father of modern art".
Europe
From 1953 to 1961 he stayed in England and Germany to expand his professional knowledge; probably also to research his aristocratic origin. He probably saw himself as a European. In both countries, however, he was not recognized as a manager. The racism in England and Germany at the time prevented him from getting a job that would have matched his level of education and training. So he was forced to work as an unskilled worker in England and the Ruhr area; he is said to have been lonely and lived a meager life. He is also said to have suffered hunger. In Gelsenkirchen he worked in a colliery.
Antigua
After returning to Antigua, he was politically active from 1961. He later retired and worked alone as a painter and photographer. He sold Polaroid photos and small pictures to tourists; also planned a large exhibition with his largely unknown work, but it never came about.
Artistic work
His artistic work includes
- 5000 paintings: landscapes, portraits, abstract pictures
- 1000 drawings
- 2000 photographs
- 600 wooden sculptures
- 2000 wooden picture frames
- 500 handmade toys
- 50,000 handwritten and typewritten pages
- 468 audio documents (word and music)
Frank Walter wrote down a lot. He left around 50,000 handwritten and typewritten pages. And many aspects of his work can still be found on the website. Unfortunately, his oeuvre received little attention during his lifetime - especially in Europe.
Exhibitions (selection)
After his death there were a large number of exhibitions around the world; in 2020 an extensive retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt am Main.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d https://www.frankwalter.org/
- ↑ a b c d e 3sat, June 19, 2020 7:20 p.m. Kulturzeit; https://www.3sat.de/kultur/kulturzeit/sendung-vom-19-juni-2020-100.html
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Walter, Frank |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Walter, Francis Archibald Wentworth |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Antiguan painter, photographer, sculptor and philosopher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 11, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Horsford Hill, Antigua |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 11, 2009 |