Joseph Charles Farley (1921-1993)

Joe Farley attended The Central School of Art and won a scholarship to study in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Joe’s early career was as a graphic designer working on Fleet Street and he subsequently moved to Cape Town where he was known as John Farley.  He taught art at the University of Cape Town, worked on radio and painted extensively, portraits as well as landscapes.

On his return to London in 1955.  Now married with two children he worked for the Robert Savage Gallery and ran Robert’s fine picture framing business.  Setting up some years later his own framing company he supplied many of the Cork Street Galleries.  JC Farley Fine Art had its premises in Bloomsbury and a chance meeting with a film designer opened the door to supplying art for film and TV set dressing.  Joe painted artworks specifically for film productions and the hiring business was established in 1962 supplying the early James Bond movies amongst others.

The Farley paintings on show now at Guinevere were created during the early 60’s and other works were collected by Joe directly from the other artists in this exhibition, Martin Bradley and Ivor Thomas in particular.