Lanyon was a painter of landscapes leaning heavily towards abstraction, making some constructions, pottery and collage; also a teacher.

Born in St.Ives, Cornwall, which remained his base. Lanyon had painting lessons after school from Borlase Smart in 1936, in 1937 attending Penzance school of Art. He had lessons for a time at the Euston Road School in 1938 and was encouraged or taught by Ben Nicholson, Adrian Stokes and Naum Gabo. He made his first constructions 1939-40, then from 1940-5 served with the Royal Air Force.

First solo show at Lefevre Gallery, 1949. He was to exhibit internationally in mixed exhibitions, including West Country Landscape, Arts Council Tour, 1953; Metavisual, Tachiste, Abstract, Redfern Gallery, 1957, and British Painting in the Sixties, Tate Gallery, 1963. Also extensive solo shows in Britain and abroad.

Founder member of the Crypt Group, 1946; Penwith Society. 1949; taught at Bath Academy of Art , 1950-7, elected Member of the Newlyn Society, 1953, and ran the St.Peter’s Loft Art School, St.Ives, with William Redgrave, 1955-60.

Lanyon’s first solo show in New York in 1957 was well received, brought him the friendship of Mark Rothko and made Lanyon impatient with the restricted world of St.Ives. But he took up gliding in 1959 to get to know better the Cornish landscape, and this brought to his work a greater feeling of sea and air and brightened his palette.

Died in Taunton, Somerset, as the result of injuries received in a gliding accident; his death was a severe blow to Cornish painting. Lanyon’s work is in many public galleries, including the Tate. Retrospective at Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 1978, and South Bank Centre, 1992, both with tour. The artists Andrew and Martin Lanyon are his sons.