Bob Aldous (b.1960)

Bob Aldous lives in West London and works from his studio in Kingston upon Thames. Born in Leicester, he moved to Banstead, Surrey, at the age of four. His father, a Quaker, worked as a social worker, while his mother was a hospital technician operating cardiography equipment at the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital in Sutton. Although art was not part of his formal education during the 1970s, he developed an early passion for drawing and painting at home, often sketching birds or copying works by Rembrandt. As Aldous recalls: “In those days the girls did cookery and the boys did woodwork; boys studied technical drawing and the girls, art. Unfortunately, that is how it was.”

His interest in technical drawing led to employment as an Architectural Technician with the Property Services Agency, followed by a degree in Architecture at South Bank University. It was during these studies that his passion for art truly emerged, prompting him to continue his education at Ravensbourne College, where he studied Fine Art Painting.

In the early 1980s, Ravensbourne was known for its experimental approach and strong encouragement of abstract art. Among Aldous's most influential tutors were the conceptual landscape artist Roger Ackling and the performance artist Gustav Metzger. Through discussions, meetings and collaborative projects organised by Metzger, Aldous became involved in a series of Art Actions and performances under the banner “Artists Support Peace”, experiences that would help shape his artistic development.