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Roy Kitchin with '3BS', 1985.
Roy Kitchin with '3BS', 1985.

Roy Kitchin (born December 6, 1926 – died 1997) was a British artist who made sculptures, mostly from steel. He also taught art at Newcastle University. Roy Kitchin helped start the Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture in Shropshire, England.

Roy Kitchin's Early Life

Roy Kitchin was born in Peterborough. In 1936, his father's candy business failed. His family then moved to Birmingham in the industrial West Midlands.

Roy finished school in Birmingham. At age fourteen, he became an apprentice in woodworking. He learned to make ammunition boxes. He also fixed boxes that did not meet the strict rules of the Ministry of Defence. While working as a joiner, he first tried carving human figures. He found pictures of sculptures in an Encyclopædia Britannica his mother bought for him. He was supposed to look at airplane pictures.

When he was eighteen, during Second World War, Roy had to work in coalmines. He was a 'Bevin Boy'. The mines were very tough. After only three days, he left without permission. He was arrested and sent to Ireland. Later, Roy joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He used his skills there for three years, from 1945 to 1948.

Starting as a Sculptor

'Wedge and Columns', Roy Kitchin, 1964.
'Wedge and Columns', Roy Kitchin, 1964.

Roy Kitchin later said his time in the army was not wasted. He learned many skills that helped him with his sculptures. After leaving the army in 1948, Roy started studying sculpture at Birmingham School of Art and Design. He only stayed for one term. But the Head of Sculpture, William Bloye, was very impressed. He asked Roy to be his full-time assistant. Roy could not afford the course, so he took the job. Working with Bloye, Roy learned how to make large sculptures. He also learned about old-style building decorations.

In 1952, Roy went back to the Sculpture Department at Birmingham College of Art. He paid for his studies by doing small jobs for Bloye. Here, he was told to make sculptures of figures from ancient Greek art. He graduated in 1954. Roy soon found work as a freelance architectural sculptor. He got several big jobs, like re-carving the decorations on Birmingham Cathedral Tower. The next six years were very important for Roy's art. He saw the work of Cubist sculptors like Jacques Lipchitz and Ossip Zadkine for the first time. This showed him new ways to work with different materials. Roy also liked how Jacob Epstein helped artists be more free. Roy's early work in stone and clay changed. He started making organic, human-like sculptures from bronze.

In 1961, Roy was asked to teach sculpture at Wolverhampton School of Art. Around this time, Roy's art changed a lot. He began to use methods from heavy industry. His first steel sculptures appeared. In 1964, he met Pam Brown there, who was also a sculptor. They became lifelong partners. He stayed at Wolverhampton School of Art for ten more years.

In 1971, Roy and Pam moved to Newcastle upon Tyne University. Roy began making much larger steel sculptures. These were shown in many outdoor exhibitions. In 1983, Roy had his own exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

'Inclined Impasse', Roy Kitchin, 1982.
Inclined Impasse, Roy Kitchin, 1982.

In the early 1980s, Roy wanted a permanent place for his sculptures. He wanted to see how the landscape would affect his art over time.

In 1983, Roy left Newcastle to create this special place. It was the Ironbridge Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire.

Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture

For three years before this big change, Roy and Pam wrote to many groups. They looked for land that was not being used. They offered to use the land and take care of it. They got good replies. So, they decided to focus on the Ironbridge area in Shropshire. This area is known as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. In 1986, Ironbridge Gorge became a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means it is very important to the world.

They talked with Telford Development Corporation. This government group owned a lot of land in the area. After looking at sites for four years, they found the perfect spot in 1984. It was the right size and had good features. This land used to be the Cherry Tree Hill Brick and Tile works. It was owned by Abraham Darby I's Coalbrookdale Company until 1905.

Building the museum was delayed by the Ironbridge Bypass. But during this time, they got all the needed approvals. Old mine shafts on the site were closed safely. The museum was set up as a charity. The legal papers were signed on May 8, 1989. They also got permission to build a new house and studio for Pam on the site.

'Blake', Roy Kitchin, Steel, 1982.
'Blake', Roy Kitchin, 1982.

Roy and Pam believed they needed to see the site in all seasons. This would help them decide the best places for the sculptures. In June 1991, the Ironbridge Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture opened. It showed 43 sculptures across 10 acres. These included works by Pam Brown, Rob Ward, and others.

The collection kept growing. The Museum ended up with over eighty sculptures by more than thirty artists.

In the mid-2010s, the museum moved to the British Ironwork Centre. This is near Oswestry on the A5 in Shropshire. Some sculptures were almost sold for scrap metal. But they were saved by the "Save a Sculpture" program. Now, they are at the Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum in Solsberry, Indiana, USA.

Solo Shows

Roy Kitchin had many solo exhibitions where his work was shown alone:

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