About Ashley Luff
Before Art College, in the early 1950s, Ashley Luff spent a spell in industry followed by military service in Sri Lanka. After a period in administration, He spent a year as barman in a Devon Inn before arriving at Hornsey Art College in 1957.
At Hornsey he completed a course in Fine Art,1957-60. Followed by Southampton University's Art Teachers' Diploma at Bournemouth (later as a visiting lecturer). He taught for a spell at Blackwell Secondary School before accepting Fine Arts lectureships from 1963.
He was visiting lecturer to High Wycombe, Chichester and Hornsey, among others, as well as talks to various groups at Museums etc. with a special interest in early 20th Century French writing and music, especially Erik Satie where his interest was heightened by a chance half hour conversation with Francis Poulenc in 1961.
Luff's first exhibition was at the Absalom Gallery, Bath in 1965, later at The Architectural Institute, London, Bath University, and group exhibitions at Southampton Art Gallery and Reading Museum.
He took up as a full time artist in 1977, becoming a co-Director of Cromwell Fine Art that year and showing his work there until 1992 when he became Resident Artist at Terry Venable's Scribes West, Kensington 1992-98 where his work was displayed for sale. At the same time He showed his work at the Osborne Gallery, Belgravia from 1977 until recent times.
In 1983 Luff exhibited at The Savile Club and in 1995 a show at The Guild of Excellence, Swiss Cottage and Highgate Fine Art 2003-5 and elsewhere. Also, The Libby Morris Gallery, Melbourne 1988 and Art Catto, Portugal, 2013.
Works in Private Collections include Terry Venables, Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews, Kerry Packer, Lesley Botham, The French House, Soho. The authors Keith Waterhouse, Peter Everett (Matisse's War) and photographer Clive Limpkin (Battle of Bogside, Capa Gold Medal Award). A painting bought by Union Secretary, Moss Evans, now hung in their offices, the former Hornsey Art College where Luff first studied.
Luff expresses particular satisfaction that Directors of the following Galleries have his works in their personal collections:
- Redfern and Pringle Galleries, Cork St., London
- Marlborough Gallery, Bond St., London
- Absalom Gallery, Bath.
- Ross Hammond Gallery, St. John's Wood, London
- Osborne Gallery, Belgravia, London
Early days
