A REVEALING self portrait is the final legacy from artist John Wragg RA, who died on May 26, aged 82, having suffered a stroke two days earlier.

He spent much of his artistic career creating sculpture and paintings in his studio in Devizes, where he moved 40 years ago, becoming friends with David Inshaw and other leading member's of the county's arts community.

Michael Sanders, who knew him well and, with his son, Jules, contributed the information for the tribute below, said: "He enjoyed life in so many ways. He loved fast cars, and was still driving an Audi TT. At one time he had a car capable of doing 200mph.

"He was a great joker - when he was teaching he persuaded his students he owned an imaginary dog, because he wanted to demonstrate how to have creativity. It backfired on him when they started bring in treats for it!

"He was wonderful at parties, a great raconteur because he knew so many people, the great artists of the 20th century. But at the same time he was really quite a shy person.

"He had often said if he could not paint he would die, which was prescient. His view on life was to quote Degas: "you don’t find the inspiration it's hard work” but painting was his passion throughout.

"He completed a self-portrait within the last two weeks of his life, one of very few."

Born in York, John Wragg's early years saw him bullied at school and by his admission a poor student. He was later identified as dyslexic. John maintained he helped the family by being a regular supplier of chocolate, successfully scrounged from the lady employees of Terrys chocolate factory which was in the same street as the Wragg household.

He had an uneasy relationship with his father Arthur until the latter was in his final years and came to live with John in Wiltshire. Whilst his father claimed John needed to get a “real job” he did not discourage his wishes to draw and paint. The family and other relations all enjoyed and played music and he was surrounded by books; a characteristic that continued throughout his life.

Sent to learn at trade as a signwriter he ventured into the York School of Art and promptly told the school’s principal that he could do better than a student's work produced for a weekly assessment. Challenged, he submitted anonymously a watercolour which was selected by the head of painting as the best piece that week.

Unaware of this, John learned his father had been asked to see the school principal. Suspecting he was to receive a dressing down for his cheek, he avoided his father for some days, but when cornered was told he was to be offered a place at the school, to be financed for one year. His father’s support was forthcoming somewhat to John’s surprise and not an easy task as his mother Ethel no longer worked, being wheelchair bound from the age of 30.

John studied at York School of Art from 1953-1956 with fellow student David Hockney. Subsequently he was awarded a place at the Royal College of Art, London, based upon his paintings as he failed to qualify on academic terms. Typically upon arrival John persuade the staff that he wanted to be a sculptor not a painter, as it was more challenging to work in three dimensions.

He went on to teach at Chelsea School of Art until 1990. He built his own forge to make his sculptures and experience another craft and mused about ceramics, having worked in the same studio as Hans Coper.

His first solo exhibitions were held at the Hanover Gallery, London in 1963, 1966 and 1970, and at Galerie Alexandre Iolas, Paris in 1968. He continued to enjoy solo shows throughout the UK and his work is held in many major galleries including the likes of the Tate. When told the Tate bought for the nation he reputedly asked a colleague was that a good or bad for his career.

He has also featured in many key group shows throughout Britain, Europe and the United States. These include the Open Air Sculpture Exhibition, at Battersea Park, London (1966), Pittsburgh International, in the United States (1967), and Biennale di Scultura di Arese, in Milan (1980). He met and became friends with the artists he admired – Miro, Giacometti, Bacon, Moore, Ernst and Calder amongst them

He received a Sainsbury Award in 1960, and in 1966 was winner of Sainsbury Sculpture Competition, resulting in the commission of a work for King’s Road, Chelsea. The sculpture, entitled Embrace, caused huge controversy and was described as obscene by some local residents in newspapers. It is now displayed in the Milton Keynes sculpture park.

He won an Arts Council Major Award in 1977 and the Chantrey Bequest in 1981. He was elected Royal Academician in 1991 and a Member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 1996.

He married Valerie McCready, and they had a son, Julian, before divorcing. During his time in Devizes he met Deborah McCabe, who became his life partner until she died 15 years ago of cancer. He had been a lifetime pipe smoker prior to her diagnosis but never smoked since. He had once claimed that he needed to smoke a Ben Pearson pipe because its bend enabled him to be nearer to his work and he had featured in pipe smoker of the year lists Following Deborah’s death John dedicated his time to painting. He has had his works exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer show for over 50 years; in recent years selling all the paintings he submitted.

He was always a Yorkshire man and proud of saying it as it was. Curiously for a raconteur he disliked crowds. He was uncomfortable with ceremony and has never collected his RA medal for that reason.Whilst willing to talk to anyone on a one to one basis he preferred the solitude of his studio with a background of classical music. He was, like so many shy people, hidden behind a big public persona. He professed no faith but regular visited churches and returned to York Minster which he greatly admired from his school days.

He had a wicked sense of humour for the unwary but was also generous. Over the last five years his donations of paintings and postcards to his chosen charities alone have produced over £80,000.

A memorial service will be held when lockdown restrictions allow.

To learn more about him, go to:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2f587v29vkd2t7s/John%20Wragg%20RA%20.mp4?dl=0 which features a recording in his studio made last October.