William John Bertram Newcombe CSGA, CWCS (1907-1969) Canadian
Abstract
Signed, watercolour, 40cm by 71.5cm

Newcombe was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and lived in Toronto (1936-1955). During this time, he became the President of the Canadian Society of Graphic Art, exhibiting with the Art Association of Montreal, the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the American Watercolour Society.

In 1955 he came to live in England and developed a more abstract style becoming open to the avant-garde scene taking place simultaneously in London, Paris and Rome. He began exhibiting in selections and mixed exhibitions and also showed at the ground-breaking Iris Clert Gallery in Paris in 1957. By the May of 1958 he had his first joint exhibition with Padraig Macmiadhachain at the New Vision Centre Gallery in London (NVCG). In 1959 he staged his first solo exhibition at the NVCG, and again in 1962, and thereafter became a regular exhibitor. In 1961 he exhibited at Manchester City Art Gallery with Paul-Emile Borduas, the leader of the Automatiste Group and the chief author of the Refus Global Manifesto of 1948. The third Canadian artist of the exhibiting trio was Jean Paul Riopelle, who has now attained international recognition as Canada's leading abstract artist.

Newcombe also showed at the first Biennale of Abstract Art (Canadian Section) at the Commonwealth Institute London in 1963.