Nigel Whiteley,1953-2010

摘要

The loss of Nigel Whiteley towards the end of 2010 is as keenly felt in the Art and Design community as it is in his home institution of Lancaster University. At Lancaster he showed at an institutional level those characteristics that brought him recognition beyond Lancaster. Nigel was a wonderful colleague - always ready to listen to a good idea, always ready to challenge, with tact and humanity, a bad one. I use the word humanity in describing Nigel's interaction with others quite deliberately - he very often stood as a good example of how dignified the human condition could be. Nothing exemplifies this better than his passing - he used his last weeks to meet with each friend individually, break bread with them for one last time, and say farewell. Those he left behind felt comforted and loved by this. He also spent those days saying a personal farewell to other friends of his - works of art. I heard with amazement and no small measure of admiration how Nigel, shortly before his death, made one last journey to the Lady Lever Art Gallery to see some of his favourite pieces there for one last time. It cannot have been an easy journey for him. However, I am quite sure that the visit to the gallery brought him great comfort, and was a fitting counterpart to the meetings he had been holding with friends.