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ARTISTS BIOGRAPHY
Charles Churchill Villiers was born in New York in 1951, son of Nita Brown and of the noted inventor Amherst Villiers who designed the legendary Supercharged Bentley, in the 1920’s. As well as being the primary designer of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s “Bluebird” which set the world speed record, he designed the world champion Formula-One racing car for BRM. During the 1950’s Amherst Villiers was President of the American Rocket Society but left this prestigious position to work as a portrait painter.
Charles was born with an aristocratic legacy (he is the Godson of Winston Churchill and his cousin once removed), his family tree stretches back directly to George Villiers, The Duke Of Buckingham, the Duke of Marlborough and William the Conquerer. Charles grew up between London, New York and Los Angeles, spending many summers on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with his aunt Veronica Milner. The Milners were frequent hosts to many noted luminaries, including Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Prince of Wales and Princess Diana.
Whilst living in London, ten year old Charles was asked by Ian Fleming, a friend of the family, to draw the prototype for the car used in the book and film “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. In later years Fleming, noting Charles obsession with tracking down a “Blown Bentley” designed by his father, found such a car in France and purchased it for Charles who with his father restored the car to its former glory. The car went on to win the coveted Pebble Beach, “Concourse D’Elegance Award”.
Villiers has been in and around the art world his entire life. During the 1960’s he was heavily involved in the blossoming music scene developing between the UK and West Coast America. He formed several bands including “Villiers and Gold” in London with Andrew Gold. Later in Los Angeles he formed the band “Homeward” with singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop. In 1971 he gained a starring roll as an actor in the film “Schlock” with director John Landis at the helm. The film won the Trieste Film Festival award. Villiers penned the score for the early computer generated film, “Binary Bit Patterns” for the noted computer graphics pioneers John Whitney Sr. He then worked as a fashion photographer, learning the necessary techniques that would become invaluable in the development of video and computer imaging skills which would become so much a part of his work in the decades ahead.
The 1970’s were a definitive period in Villiers life. He spent two years in Mallorca, Spain, living between his forty-foot sloop and his fathers hillside studio. During his stay in Spain, he assisted in the painting and production of the large scale mural, “The Miracle Of Saint Francis”.
Villiers paintings grew from the early classical influences of the training given by his father and from the encouragement of an early mentor, Sir Ronald Penrose, renowned Surrealist, and co-founder of the Tate Museum in London. Though personally influenced by many noted artists, Charles is primarily a self-taught artist, and this perhaps is a reason for the unceasing freshness of creativity seen in his work.
Villiers work is enormous in scope and variety. He has created paintings in various media; wood and metal sculptures, bronze sculptures, graphite and pastel drawings, photography, and has developed a unique collection of art pigment prints.
Charles Villiers has to date held some thirty-five solo exhibitions. His paintings have been shown in Museums and is held in numerous private collections including: The Chait Day Corporation, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Downey Museum of Art and The Laguna Museum of Art.
His work is represented in the private collection of numerous collectors including actor, Caroll O’Connor; singer, Art Garfunkle; The Duke Of York; noted collector, Marcia Weissman; photographer, Greg Norman; film maker, Howard Kotch Jnr.; designed, Robert Miles Runyan; and printing giant, George Rice and Sons.