John Mills (sculptor)

John W. Mills
Born	John William Mills (1933-03-04)4 March 1933 Balham, London, England
Died	24 October 2023 (aged 90)
Occupations	Sculptor, author
Spouse	Josephine Mills
Children	2

John William Mills PPRBS ARCA FRSA (4 March 1933 – 24 October 2023) was an English sculptor.

He studied at Hammersmith School of Art, 1947–54, and at the Royal College of Art, 1956–60. He was a resident at Digswell House 1962–66, before living at Hinxworth Place in Hertfordshire. Mills died on 24 October 2023, at the age of 90.

Teaching

Various part-time teaching posts in UK from 1958 to 1962:

• Full-time at St. Albans School of Art and Hertfordshire College of Art and Design, 1962–77
• Visiting Associate Professor in Printmaking and Sculpture, Eastern Michigan University, 1970–71
• Visiting lecturer Detroit School of Creative Arts, 1970–71
• Visiting Professor and Artist in Residence University of Michigan, 1980.

Awards

• Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, 1982
• Otto Beit medal, Royal British Society of Sculptors, 1983 (for the sculpture 'Curved Neck Grace')
• President of the Society, 1986, and again in 1997
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 1993
• Honorary Master of Arts, University College Northampton, 2000

Work in public places

Monument to the Women of World War II Whitehall London.

Three Kings. Hinxworth Place.

• William Blake Memorial (Blake House, London)
• Blitz the National Firefighters Memorial (South side of St. Paul's Cathedral, London)
• London River Man (Isle of Dogs, London)
• John Jorrocks (Croydon, London)
• Family Outing (Thames Centre, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, England)
• Brothers (University Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA)
• Swimmers (Cambridge swimming pool, Cambridge, England)
• Diver (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
• St George (Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans, USA)
• Degas Dancing (La Cabaña Restaurant, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Thoughtful Girl (Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA)
• The Thrower (Ernest Bevin School, Tooting, London)
• Boy With Cat (Highfields, Hemel Hempstead, England)
• Lion (Ward Freeman School, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, England)
• The Unicorn and Wellcome (Wellcome Foundation, Beckenham, Kent, England)
• Road Research (Road Research Laboratories, Crowthorne, England)
• The Risen Christ, St Mary's Church, Ashwell, Hertfordshire, England)
• Sir Thomas Sopwith (Brooklands Museum, Brooklands, England)
• Sir Lawrence Bragg, (The Royal Institution, London)
• Jackie Milburn Memorial (Ashington, Northumberland, England)
• The Meeting, Harpur Square, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
• Chinese Reference, Harlow, Essex, England (Tesco Site)
• Quadriga, fountain Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
• Time, Cavendish Hotel (Chatsworth House Estate) Derbyshire, England
• The Risen Christ, Church of Great St Mary, Sawbridgeworth, Essex, England
• Campus Thoughts, University College Northampton, England
• Memorial to Alan Turing, University of Surrey, Guildford, England
• Lion and the Unicorn and Digitalis, William Harvey Centre, Charterhouse Square, London
• Monument to the Women of World War II Whitehall, London

Competitions

• Winner of the design competition for 'The Topham Trophy' 1961 and 1962.
• Winner of the RBS silver medal in 1991 for 'Blitz'.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the 'D-Day fifty pence coin 1993'.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the 'VE Day two pound coin 1994'.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the Euro Cup two pound coin 1995.
• Winner of the Coin of the Year award (Krause Publications) for the D-Day fifty pence 1994.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the Euro Cent, British entry for the European Competition 1996.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the 25th anniversary of the our entry into the Common Market fifty pence coin 1997.
• Winner of the Royal Mint design competition for the 50th anniversary of DNA Double helix two pound coin.

Published works

• Sculpture in Ciment Fondu, 1958 (Contractors Record, London).
• The Technique of Sculpture 1962 (B.T.Batsford, London).
• Sculpture in Concrete, 1966 (McClaren, London ).
• The Technique of Casting for Sculpture 1968 (B.T.Batsford, London).
• Studio Bronze Casting 1969 (McClaren, London), this book was written in collaboration with Michael Gillespie ARBS.
• Modelling the Figure and Head 1978 (B.T.Batsford, London).
• Encyclopaedia of Sculpture Techniques 1989 (B.T.Batsford, London).
• Catalogue contribution for Chelsea Harbour 93 (RBS) 1993.
• Sculpture 108, Contributed article 'What I didn't learn at Art School' Spring issue 1997
• Sculpting the Human Figure 2006 (Crowood Press)

National Firefighters Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral London.

The Meeting. Harpur Square, Bedford.

Quadrega Fountain. Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina.

References

• Official website
• 'Blitz' Firefighters Memorial
• Memorial to the Women of World War II Fund
• H.M.Queen Elizabeth II unveiling Women of World War II Monument
• John W Mills Images of Quentin Crisp