By Stanley Greaves
Tony Phillips as he was usually called attended Queen’s College where apart from academic studies he had two major pursuits, cricket and art. In the end art won. He was an enthusiastic student of ER Burrowes and became a member of the Young Contemporaries Group. This was formed by Burrowes in the mid 1950s after his return from his second British Council Award where he attended the St Martin’s School of Art in London. At the time a group of young British artists making headlines were referred to as the ‘young contemporaries’. Burrowes’ was composed of senior art students from QC and the Bishop’s High.
I met Tony during visits to Burrowes and saw that Tony had an open personality, always smiling, loved to make jokes, ready to laugh heartily and see the bright side of things. On leaving school he continued to paint landscapes following the tradition of the time set by senior artists, Burrowes and Moshett.