Born in Manchester in 1922, Fred Yates worked as an insurance clerk, before serving as a Grenadier Guardsman in the war. He taught art for many years, then moved to Cornwall, where he started to paint full-time. His idiosyncratic paintings are easily identified by their brilliant vibrant colour, often squeezed straight from the tube. The apparent naïve style masks a sure skill in creating his world of Manchester city life, Cornish villages and French landscapes, populated by his familiar cast of characters. From early exhibitions in galleries throughout Cornwall and the West Country, he is now gaining recognition as one of Britain's most distinctive painters with successful exhibitions here and abroad. His work inspires a devoted following and he has works in collections in the UK, USA, Canada, France etc. The increasing French feel to his paintings precipitated a move to Central France a few years ago, where he continued to work until his death in 2008..
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