The artist Brian John Vale (1930 – 2008) was born in Southsea, Portsmouth. He spent his early life in London and Leicester and came from a long line of silversmiths and jewellery designers.
At the age of 11 he moved to Bradford with his family and attended Thornton Grammar school. After completing his National Service in Germany and the UK he attended Bradford Regional College of Art where he studied for three years and later took a course on the history of art.
He worked for Petty’s (printers) in Leeds and then at the Telegraph and Argus, Bradford as a commercial artist. In the 1950s and 1960 he was the newspaper’s art critic and wrote articles and interviews with artists for the Telegraph and Argus and also in the Bradford Pictorial, a monthly lifestyle magazine.
He married fellow artist Denise Rooum in 1959 and they set up an art studio in their home at Heaton, Bradford.
Denise Rooum and Brian Vale, 1959.
They were both members of Bradford Arts club and he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1958.
Rooftops, Bradford City Centre
HIs art works were in many mediums and include paintings, drawings and sculptures. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, as well as with The Royal Water Colour Society and the Pastel Society in London. He also exhibited locally at Cartwright Hall, Bradford and in 1968 had a husband and wife exhibition at Keighley Cliffe Castle Art Gallery with Denise Rooum.
Brian painted a range of subjects, including landscapes, urban scenes, abstract and impressionistic work, and human studies/portraits (see example of the latter below).
Brian Vale was also a talented musician and hand-made many musical instrument including Lutes and Bandoras. He played the banjo (see below) for several Bradford folk dancing groups including ‘Cloggers Row’ and ‘Roll back the Carpet.’
(With thanks to Brian Vale and Denise Rooum’s daughters for the profile of their father and for permission to use the artwork images and photographs shown above.)