LESLIE STREET

Leslie Street joined the RAF in 1939 and when commissioned in 1943 was the youngest Technical Branch officer in the Service.  Leaving at the end of the war, he became a Design and Development Engineer with Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird, aircraft instument manufacturers.  Whilst with this company he studied Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at University College, Southampton.

In 1954 he moved to Decca Radar Ltd as a Research and Development Engineer working on Defence Radar.  In May 1960 he was offered a position as Design Manager of Parnall & Sons.  As well as heading up the Computer Hardware Group, Les was also responsible for the office posture chair and furniture design, which later took on a greater part of his time as he became UK representative to the European Committee setting the ergonomical perameters for this type of equipment.

In 1970, as a counterpoint to the rigid discipline of Industrial Design, he attended evening classes at Bristol Polytechnic to further his lifelong interest in art.

With his engineering background and influenced by Vasarely, he produced a series of 'Op Art' pieces with a relief surface.  Other works used a combination of polyester resin and aluminium, providing a polished surface in monochrome.  His tutor, Colin Gray, encouraged him in this pioneering work but also introduced him into direct carving in stone, which later became his main interest.  After he retired, Leslie specialised in direct carving; mainly in limestone, blue lias and polyphant stone.  His work, both figurative and abstract, mainly derived from natural forms.

Whilst living in Bristol, he exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy several times.  He has also shown in numerous mixed exhibitions and has sold work widely in Europe and the USA.  His early experimental pieces were hand by the Circus Gallery, Bath. More recently his work has been shown at the Walker Galleries, Honiton and, until 2007, the Wills Lane Gallery, St Ives and since then, here at the Glass House in Penzance.

Sadly, Leslie Street died earlier this year - 2009.