(1918 - 1983)
William Brooker was born in Croydon and studied at Croydon School of Art from 1936 to 1939. He served in the Royal Artillery in north-west Europe during the Second World War, returning to London in 1946 to study at Chelsea School of Art, and then an art education course at Goldsmiths College of Art in 1948. From 1949 to 1953 he taught at Bath Academy of Art where he was a friend and colleague of Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon and William Scott. He exhibited regularly, including at the Arthur Tooth and Sons, Leicester Galleries, the London Group and the Royal Academy.
In the 1960s Brooker was a Senior Lecturer in Painting first at Ealing School of Art (1960–1965) and then at Central School of Art and Design (1965–1969). From 1969-1981 Brooker became Principal of Wimbledon School of Art and served on numerous art education committees. His work is represented in many public collections around the UK, including Tate and Arts Council Collection.
