I would like to ask for your readers' help in my research in to artist Allan Milner who lived in Ramsey from 1949 until his death in 1984.

I stumbled across Allan while researching his art teacher Alice Gostick, who by the way was a huge influence on former pupil sculptor Henry Moore.

I was intrigued and fascinated that a talented artist from my home town has not been heard of in Castleford. I wanted to research and know more of this forgotten artist, and find him recognition in the town, and for his contribution to the art world.

Allan Milner (James Milner) was an artist.

He was born in Bowers Row, Allerton Bywater but he always referred to being born from Castleford.

He attended Castleford Secondary School in the mid-1920s. It was at the school he developed his interest and education in art under the charismatic art mistress Alice Gostick.

Allan went on to win scholarships at Leeds Art College and the Royal College of Art in London.

His paintings forte was surrealist and abstract. He was at the cutting edge of surrealism in the early 1930s in London.

His work was widely exhibited nationally from the 1930s to the 1960s.

He moved to the Isle of Man in 1949 and set about a new life as an artist and was one of the founder members of the Mannin Art Group where he judged at the exhibitions.

He was an acclaimed artist of the island and he submitting regularly to exhibitions.

Allan’s abstraction artwork was in a class of there own and were not always easy to understand. In his own words he said in 1954 in the Isle of Man Examiner: ‘I think of a shape and work on it-seeing how many different and intriguing variations i can achieve on this recurring theme.

‘For shape can have importance for its own sake.’

There is so much more to find out about this artist, and I would like to reach out to your readers, members of his family, people who knew him or have a piece of his work to please contact me so I can record this remarkable artist for everyone to enjoy and learn about.

David Wilders

Castleford

West Yorkshire

My contact is [email protected]

This letter was first published in the Manx Independent of June 22.

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