Miss Freda N. Skinner
Born 31 January 1911
Died 19 July 1993
Active: 1928 - 1967
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, wood carver, letter cutter
Born in Limpsfield, Surrey. She began studying at the Royal College of Art c.1928 supported by neighbours from Limpsfield, including Arthur Rackham (author and illustrator), Louis Fry (painter) Sybil Pye (bookbinder) and her sister, the sculptor, Ethel Pye. Freda studied under Henry Moore and Alan Durst (who taught her wood carving).
In the early 1940s she taught toy making and sculpture at Kingston School of Art. Afterwards running a team of twenty ATS girls and women volunteers creating landscape maps in relief constructed in hessian, which illustrated where vehicles could be parked safe from observation. Between 1945-71 she was Head of Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art, where her students included William Pye.
Amongst her numerous commissions were a war memorial at Battersea Parish Church (1948), 'The Risen Christ in Glory', St Paul's Church, Lorrimore Square, Southwark (1960) and the 'Virgin and Child', Lady Chapel, St Elphege's Church, Wallington (1972). Her later works included the foundation stone for the Barbican Art Centre (1972) and the Plaque and Coat of Arms for the foyer (1982). She also created many portrait busts and heads, numerous garden sculptures and was a highly regarded letter cutter. In 1961 she published a manual on 'Wood Carving' which became a standard work. Although primarily known for her work in wood, she also experimented with other materials such as stoneware, ciment fondue and fibreglass.
She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and a committee member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors. She died in West Amesbury, Wiltshire.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Locations
Address The Ivy House French Street Sunbury-on-Thames | View on map
1944 (Circa)
Address 79 Deodar Road Putney London SW15 | View on map
1946 (Circa) - 1967 (Circa)
She may also have lived at No 35,
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Exhibition 20 by the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, 1946
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1944 - 1967
Exhibited 6 times (twice up to 1951), one or two works per year, chiefly portrait busts or heads.
Institutional and Business Connections
Member of The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
1946 (Presumed)
Studied at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
17 July 1931
Listed as a graduate from the 'School of Sculpture' in the College's 1931 'Distribution of Diplomas' list.
Sources
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Members and Craftsmen
1946 (Probable)
Royal College of Art, Distribution of Diplomas on Friday 17 July 1931
17 July 1931
p. 1.
The Independent
2004
Obituary: Freda Skinner, Sheila Mitchell; Friday, 30 July 1993; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-freda-skinner-1488051.html (accessed 11 April 2010)
Citing this record
'Miss Freda N. Skinner', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1210260572, accessed 17 May 2022]