Seek and ye shall find

In my ongoing web search for old paintings of mine I Googled 'Tony Rushton', until 2012 art editor at Private Eye and buyer of one of my paintings ('Quiet') in the 1966 Whitechapel Show. This portrait of Rushton standing in front of  'Quiet' turned up on the website of photographer Eric Hands. Taken in 2006, so TR has probably had the painting on his wall for 40 years. Eric has kindly given me permission to use the photo.

(Photo: Eric Hands)

Rhodohendron (sic)

A newly-discovered painting of mine from 1967, sold at auction last year for an exceptionally modest sum. The photo was taken from the auctioneers' website, so not top quality. It was listed as 'Rhododendron' but the actual title was 'Rhodohendron', which was supposed to suggest a connection between the Rhododendron-based colour and the geometric composition. Described as oil on canvas, but in fact acrylic. They got the size right, though: 120 x 120 cm.

Stretcher case

It's always been a mystery why Japanese canvas stretchers don't feature wedges for tautening a canvas, a common feature in Europe and probably the US. At last I've found the "A" range by Maruoka that does have wedges. Taut as a drum from now on.

Wow!

This is a video I made a few years ago for my English in Design course students at Tama Art University. Each image lasts 15 seconds. Just look at the dot in the middle and try not to move your eyes around. What do you see? Be patient, and don't miss the finale. Note: The video doesn't seem to work on the iPhone or iPad. Not sure why ...

It was fifty years ago today (roughly)

I'm ashamed to admit that one of my online pastimes is Googling 'Roger Barnard artist'. A recent search turned up reviews in the newly-uploaded Spectator archives of the New Generation shows in 1966 and 68. I wasn't aware of these reviews before, and discovered that they were both less than enthusiastic, and my paintings weren't mentioned at all.

From the 1966 review by Mario Amaya:

"… this latest selection of eleven painters and two sculptors chosen by Mr Robertson seems to be straining desperately to create an effect, without  knowing quite why or what it is after."

A pretty accurate description of my current work, too.

And in 1968 Paul Grinke concluded his review with:

"Many people will no doubt be disappointed that there are no new names to conjure with, and not all that much new work by older hands, but the show remains both useful and enjoyable."

Well, that was something, I suppose.

These reminded me of a 'review' of the 1966 show in the now defunct Studio International magazine which was actually written beforehand by Patrick Procktor, one of the artists featured in the first NG show in 1964. I and the three other Central students had been told that Procktor would be visiting the school, and after showing him our work, we naively assumed that the article would be a standard puff piece. But no such luck. As a temporary art critic, he was refreshingly honest about all the artists, and very sparing in his praise. He wrote that my paintings were "fair examples of optical paintings, the most recent one moving towards something less mathematically regular. Where?"  

Fair enough, Patrick.

It wasn't all gloom, however. I remember I was mentioned favourably in a 1966 BBC broadcast of "The Critics", but I have no recording to back up my claim. And after my father died, I discovered a cutting from The Sunday Telegraph dated May 5, 1968. Edwin Mullins, the regular art critic, wrote:

"The early King "Twilight," will in time be regarded as a seminal work in British sculpture of the 1960s; and Hoyland, Barnard, and Lancaster are others for whom my respect grows."

Which was nice.