Early Life, Family and Training

Alan Green was born in London on December 22, 1932. His early years were shaped by a focus on the mechanics of visual communication. From 1949 to 1953, he studied illustration and graphic design at the Beckenham School of Art. This period provided the technical foundation for his later work as a painter and printmaker. Between his studies and his time at the Royal College of Art, he served as a cartographer during his military service in Korea and Japan.

The years following his service saw him returning to formal training. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Art from 1955 to 1958. It was during this time that his personal life became intertwined with his artistic surroundings. In 1958, he married the sculptor June Barnes. The couple eventually had two daughters.

Career and Teaching Positions

Between 1953 and 1955, Green’s work took him away from the studio to serve as a cartographer. This period was spent in Korea and Japan, where his focus remained on the precise requirements of mapping. During his time in Japan, he visited the potter Shoji Hamada, observing the intersection of form and craft.

His transition into academia followed his studies at the Royal College of Art. He began teaching at the Hornsey College of Art from 1958 to 1959. This was a brief period of instruction before he moved into a longer tenure at the Leeds College of Art, where he taught from 1961 until 1966. His time in the classroom continued for many years, eventually concluding at the Ravensbourne College in Kent in 1974.

Exhibitions and Major Collections

Green’s presence in the international art scene was marked by specific, notable placements. In 1977, his work was included in documenta 6 in Kassel. This exhibition placed his practice alongside significant contemporary developments of that period. His work has also been featured in various settings, such as the 2005 exhibition of works on paper at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, and more recently in a 2010 exhibition at the Museum Wiesbaden.

The physical traces of his practice are held in several permanent collections across different continents. In the United Kingdom, his pieces are part of the collection at Tate Britain in London. His reach extends to Northern Europe, where his work is held by Kiasma in Helsinki. These locations represent the institutional recognition of his output over the decades.

Other significant holdings include the National Museum of Modern Art Kyōto. His work is also found in the collections of the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, the Neue Galerie in Kassel, and the Museum Morsbroich in Leverkusen. In various other places, his prints and drawings are kept in the Museum für Konkrete Kunst in Ingolstadt, the Museum Liaunig in Kärnten, the Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi in Łódź, and the Tate St. Ives in Cornwall.