In 1945 I returned to London from a carefree childhood as an evacuee in Devon. The resulting culture stimulated my first serious works depicting scenes from war torn Bermondsey. These were mainly pen, ink and gouache on paper. At age 13 I entered Camberwell School of Art Junior Department, here I was incredibly lucky to find myself taught by the finest painters in England; Victor Pasmore, William Coldstream, John Minton, Keigh Vaughan and later the German expressionist Martin Bloch.
My new city life both fascinated and repelled me. I responded visually to its ugliness and also to its energy. Gangs of children ran wild over the devastated streets and on the shores of the Thames we played amongst the barges, filling my memory with rich earthy scenes.
Unbeknown to me at the time John Minton was also drawing along the Rotherhithe shores. It was his particular circle of Susan Einzig and Keith Vaughan that I found the most stimulating, for the neo-romantics were at that time creating their finest works. It followed from there that my paintings reflected the concerns of the English School of William Blake, Samuel Palmer and Turner, not in an obvious way, but in the spirit within their works.
As a holiday from the city I have enjoyed painting many scenes in Kent and around Britain which I feel enables me to help keep a healthy balance.
Now in my 84th year I look forward to starting a new painting of Waterloo Bridge and later returning to nearby Bankside to rediscover my old favourite subjects. Details of an exhibition in May of rarely seen works to follow.....
No comments:
Post a Comment