Bryan Robertson

Bryan Robertson OBE (1 April 1925 – 18 November 2002) was an English curator and arts manager described by Studio International as "the greatest Director the Tate Gallery never had".

Biography Robertson was born in London and educated at Battersea Grammar School. Unfit for military service, he became a junior editor on The Studio magazine in 1945. As curator, he created an influential programme that gave major presentations of works by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg and the 1956 exhibition This Is Tomorrow. The Pollock exhibition created 'an absolute furore' (Robertson's own words), and police were summoned to control the crowds queuing to get in. The same happened with the Rauschenberg exhibition in 1964. He also revived interest in the work of Barbara Hepworth and organised exhibitions of Turner (the first solo show of Turner since his death in 1851) and Stubbs.

Robertson was key in promoting the careers of many emerging British artists; Anthony Caro, David Hockney, John Hoyland, Bridget Riley, William G. Tucker, and Phillip King. following the retirement of John Rothenstein but due to politics lost out to the Gallery's deputy director, Norman Reid. at Flowers East and Flowers East at London Fields.