A gifted artist and his champion

The release of a new book on John Kingerlee is tinged with sadness at the tragic death of its editor, writes Marc O’Sullivan

DR Ted Pillsbury was one of the most prominent figures in the visual arts world in America. Among the posts he held was the directorship of the prestigious Kimbell Museum in Dallas, and he once famously turned down the directorship of the National Gallery in Britain. Pillsbury was 66 when he died in March of last year. Although his death was ruled a suicide, what drove him to shoot himself remains a mystery.

One of the last projects Pillsbury completed before his death was The Whole Planet Is A Garden, a book of essays on the Irish artist, John Kingerlee. Pillsbury edited the book, contributed an essay and commissioned 16 others from various art critics and academics.