Stanley William Hayter

Born 1901 – Died 1988

Before becoming a printmaker and painter, Hayter studied chemistry and geology at King’s College, London (1917–21). In 1926 he moved to Paris. There he studied at the Académie Julian and was introduced to Surrealism by Yves Tanguy and André Masson, with whom he exhibited frequently in the 1930s. It was at this time that he developed his personal style characterised by the adaptation of traditional techniques like etching and engraving to the language of modern art. In 1939 he moved to New York, where he contributed to the development of Abstract Expressionism. In the 1950s he returned to Paris and developed an interest in Tachism.