Vanilla Beer
Vanilla Beer (born 1950 in Sheffield, England) is a British artist.
She trained at the West Surrey School of Art and Design and the Farnham and Walthamstow College of Art, London. Vanilla's first major solo show was at Gallery 181, curated by Alan Haydon in 1983. Her first major installation was commissioned by John Gill for the Royal Festival Hall in 1984. An installation at the De La Warr Pavilion took place in 1985. Since then she has had more than 100 exhibitions in England, America, Philippines (with British Council Support), France, Berlin and Ireland.
Vanilla Beer was a part-time lecturer at Lewisham College and Greenwich University, at Paris's Sorbonne and Cité University, occasionally at central London art schools. She was a reviewer for 'The Art Book' from 1997–2000.
She was elected Fellow of the Printmakers Council in 1984, Holder of the Artescape Fellowship 1991-1992; She won the GLC Peace Year prize in 1983, Mail on Sunday Award 1991, Russell and Chapple Painting of the Month November 1996, Ray Finnis Award 1997, prize winner for short-listed installations at Deptford Creek, London and in County Mayo, Ireland.
Personal Life
Vanilla is one of eight children of the eminent cybernetician, Stafford Beer. She has been married three times and has no children.
Publications
Prenez, Mangez et Vivez
In 2006 essays on Vanilla's work written in English and French were published in Prenez, Mangez et Vivez by Beatrijs Lauwaert, Liane Lang and Ian Bolton (edited by Tony Mann), designed and produced by Roger Kohn and published by Peacock University Press and Artescape Foundation. Prenez, Mangez et Vivez shows the essays alongside Vanilla's paintings. [1]
Vanilla Beer - Modern Mythmaker
Vanilla Beer - Modern Mythmaker (2013), an illustrated book with text by Zoey Goto, covers Beer's recent work which combines real life and myth.