Teacher, poet, activist and lecturer at Glasgow School of Art

Born: January 12, 1928;

Died: November 22, 2017

STAN Bell, who has died aged 89, was a teacher, poet, writer, activist and lecturer in drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art where he mentored new generations of artists. He also produced numerous murals that were displayed around the city.

The phrase "a man for all seasons" might as well have been a title invented specifically for Stanley Fraser Bell. From the day of his birth in Glasgow in January, 1928, he embarked on a remarkable journey – one that would see him become both leading light and prism in an incredible kaleidoscope of industrial, artistic and political arenas.

His studies began in Woodside Senior Secondary School, whose motto was Fortitudine Vincemus or By Endurance We Conquer.

It was a time of war and for many there was much to endure. For young Stan, however, this meant only a short evacuation to Dumfries, where he stayed with his grandparents.

After leaving Woodside he worked with the Forestry Commission until called up for national service in 1948. The regimen of serving with the Royal Signals did nothing to curtail his love of meeting people from all walks of life and exploring and exchanging ideas.

As a dedicated weekender, he would engage with groups such as the Socialist Outdoor Club.

It was on one such weekend that he met Cathie, whom he married in 1950. They remained devoted to one another throughout their long life together.

But there was another love in Stan’s life: politics. As a lifelong advocate for a Scottish Socialist Republic, he helped to steer and motivate this movement through various groups and organisations.

He did not, however, stop learning new skills and embracing new areas of employment – after he finished his service, he worked as an electrician with heavy switching gear in the new hydro schemes in locations such as Fort Augustus and Loch Awe.

It was during the late 1950s and early 1960s he also became involved with the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. This was at the height of the anti-Polaris campaigns and thanks to his dedication and acumen, he was elected to be vice-chair of Glasgow CND, working alongside Jeff Shaw and others.

This was not his only political battle. From the 1970s until his dementia stopped play he was active in the Scottish National Party, standing for council elections.

Alongside his passion for work and politics, all throughout his busy life Stan nurtured a love of the arts – a fascination for the powerful blending of music, dance, poetry and painting.

With family connections on the Isle of Lewis, he was especially interested in the organic aesthetic of the Western Isles and poetic implications of being located on the extreme North-West of Europe.

His own publications include The First President, a monograph on the political significance of R.B. Cunninghame Graham.

His poetry also appeared in publications such as Coincidence, Circles and Lines, Skinklin Star, La Fabrique, and Le Journal des Poètes.

His collection In Search of Stansylvania: Forty Two Poems appeared in 2006.

Throughout his early years, in his rare quieter moments, Stan had also painted in oil colours and it was this enduring interest that led him in 1966 to enrol in the Glasgow School of Art to study drawing and painting.

His natural aptitude combined with his love to share saw him follow this with a teacher training course.

Not surprisingly, given his dedication, work ethic and talent, he soon found a position as an art teacher at Bell College, where he mentored new generations of artists before accepting a position in the Glasgow School of Art as a lecturer in drawing and painting. He worked here until retiring from his post as senior lecturer.

As well as teaching, Stan produced numerous murals that were displayed around Glasgow and exhibited with the Glasgow League of Artists, The Clyde Group and Scottish Young Contemporaries, which involved him actively in joint collaborative work and travel from the USSR to Belfast and beyond. His Gable End project, its cooperative nature and associated travel, is possibly the area of work of which he was most proud.

Such was his self-effacing nature, however, he confessed to bemusement when learning his portrait of Harry McShane (another Scottish socialist) had been added to the collection at The National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

Politics, poetry and painting may have framed Stan’s personal and public life, but above all he found the greatest joy in his family.

He is survived by his son John, sister Grace Morrison and brother Leslie Bell (both living on Vancouver Island, Canada), five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A committed father to John, he was very proud of his son’s achievements and loved to yarn with him about politics, life, the universe and everything.

He also delighted in his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, enjoying hearing of their latest exploits and sourcing (and wrapping) the fun gifts they always loved to receive.

As Stan loved to share his passion for poetry, often giving readings at festivals and events, it seems right we give him the last word, with his celebrated poem Art World Signals.

The artist claimed

that ‘all art aspires

to the condition of music’

to complete autonomy.

That despite the seaport setting

his mural was abstract

all references were internal

contained no maritime image

carried no message.

A sea-going man

admiring the painting

claimed that in the colour composition

he found many nautical shapes

In the top left quarter

a blue and yellow signal flag

when flown at sea

has an unambiguous meaning it reads:

I WISH TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.

DOMINIC RYAN