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Central Washington University Faculty Papers, J. Iqbal Geoffrey, circa 1960s-1970s
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Central Washington State College
- Title
- Central Washington University Faculty Papers, J. Iqbal Geoffrey
- Dates
- circa 1960s-1970s (inclusive)19601979
- Quantity
- 0.25 cubic feet
- Collection Number
- FP-0011
- Summary
- This collection consists of essays on the work of artist J. Iqbal Geoffrey, former professor at Central Washington State College (predecessor to Central Washington University).
- Repository
-
Central Washington University, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Central Washington University
400 E University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Telephone: 509-963-1023
Fax: 509-963-3684
archive@cwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Open to the public for educational research
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
J. Iqbal Geoffrey—Pakistani abstract painter whose work fused ancient Eastern and modern Western traditions. Born in Chiniot, Pakistan (then India), he began drawing at an early age and in 1955 began painting in oils and working in calligraphic tachiste abstract styles, often introducing Hindu symbolism. He founded and edited a journal, The Pen Post, which ran 1955-1959, and published a book of verse in Urdu in 1957. He completed a BA degree at Government College, Lahore, in 1957, and a law degree at the University of the Punjab in 1959. He was called to the Bar of Pakistan at the age of 20, then went to London in 1960, where he decided to become a professional painter. His first retrospective exhibition was featured at the Alfred Brod Galleries, London, in 1962. He was awarded a Huntington Hartford Foundation fellowship in 1962, and moved to New York. He became inactive as a painter in 1965 as a gesture of protest against the contemporary art world, but continued to devise a series of iconoclastic conceptual projects. He was a visiting professor at St Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1967-1968, and divided his time between the USA and Lahore. He also taught at Central Washington State College.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection comprises a published booklet titled Re: J. Iqbal Geoffrey: A Collection of Critical Essays (edited by David Luisi), in which peers responded to Geoffrey’s artistic work.
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
Central Washington University began as the Washington State Normal School in 1891. In 1937, the school was rechristened the Central Washington College of Education. In 1961, the school became Central Washington State College and, finally, in 1977, Central Washington University.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Name of document or photograph number]. FP-0011, Central Washington University Faculty Papers, J. Iqbal Geoffrey. Archives and Special Collections, Brooks Library, Central Washington University.