Papers and drawings of Tom Phillips

Tom Phillips was a painter, graphic artist and musician who saw the fusion of words and imagery as being of central importance. This collection consists of exhibition catalogues, private view cards and postcards for and by the artist, and scores for 'Golden Flower Piece', 'Music for n players', 'Harmonia Praestabilita', 'Twelve Preludes...Wittgenstein Pieces', '4 Pieces for John Tilbury' and 'Irma'. It also includes notes on 'A Humument', a charity appeal and concert programme for Music Now, pieces by Christian Wolff published by the artist, a copy of 'Resurgence' and correspondence.

Tom Phillips was born in 1937 in London. He was educated at St Catherine's College, Oxford and then Camberwell School of Art. Phillips exhibited with the Young Contemporaries in 1964, and held his first one-man show in 1965 at the Artists International Association Gallery. From 1966 Phillips began to use texts derived from the book 'A Human Document', by W H Mallock, 1892, as a basis for his fusion work. From this he produced a treated book entitled 'A Humument', an opera 'Irma' in 1973, and other by-products. In 1969 he was a prize winner at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition. Phillips' major works include 'Benches', 1970-71 and 'A Treatise in Colour Harmony', 1975. His musical performances have included those at the Bordeaux Festival, Rome and the Purcell Room. He became a fellow of the Royal Academy in 1988. Phillips also used television as a medium, directing 'Dante's Inferno' in 1990. Tom Phillips died in 2022.

The items are arranged in the order in which they were listed by the artist, at the time of their presentation to Tate Archive.

OPEN

Paper list available.

Copyright held by Tom Phillips.

Presented by Tom Phillips, March 1973.

Correspondence between Tom Phillips and Simon Wilson, Tate Gallery, 1978-1983 (TGA 788, 8524/16, 961/32). The National Library of Wales Department of Manuscripts and Records holds papers relating to exhibitions of 1971-2 and 1976-7. Account by Tom Phillips of how he painted 'Benches', nd (TGA 7236). Card from Tom Phillips to Terry Measham re 'Mask 2', 1977 (TGA 7714/9). Notebook by Tom Phillips on cantos for Dante project and Institute of Contemporary Arts conference, 1979 (TGA 7925/22). Signature of Tom Phillips as used in Benches exhibition, nd (TGA 7925/27). Artwork for '20 sites n years' poster by Tom Phillips, nd (TGA 7925/28). Card from Tom Phillips to Alan Bowness with illustrations by Tom Phillips, 1981 (TGA 813/44). Exhibition catalogue 1970 (TGA 815/1/7/78). Other exhibition catalogues are held in the library. Numerous posters in the TAP collection. Numerous audio-visual material in the TAV collection.