No 5 the whistler spring 1993 by CAC

The journal of the Chelsea Arts Club is sponsored by

Crowley Colosso

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GREAT TRADITIONS No 5 "SPRING — THE MAD DASH INTO THE GARDEN"

THE

JOURNAL

THE

CHELSEA

ARTS

CLUB

at that time was BertSmith, he used to stutter and when we came in late from Dear Whistler, a dance he would start to give us the I read Pat Mahon Walker's letter in sack - but before he could say it we were upstairs.

your issue No.4.

I remember the first time I saw

The club without the snooker tables; it has been proved many times in the

Augustus John. The other maid Peggy saidto me: you take a drink to

past, literally becomes aclub with no

Augustus John; I said: how will I

balls! It dies a death.

know him? She said to me: he's just like Jesus!

NOT ENOUGH BALLS! Dear Whistler^

To be short and to the point - what on earth has happened to our Club's "extravaganzas"? I remember with great fondness the Valentine Night do; the great Literary Dinners, controversial Ladies Knights and our

"Peter Hope Lumley Some might think comely But Christopher Moorsom would not advertise, even in hope of getting him to join a foursome" Yours Sincerely, Christopher Moorsom

I wonder if there are any Members left from my days. We did have a great time at the Chelsea Arts Club Ball... I

Yours Sincerely

letter...

As for a referendum - we had one -

Yours Sincerely Vera Harsley

and it was unanimously decided the tables should stay and I seem to remember that Dudley said, at the time, "lets argue no more".

If any Member remembers Vera and 1 OF COURSE REPLIED...

would like to participate in a 'reunion' lunch with her at the Club I

Danielle Rea Whitaker

Dear Whistler, CAC = ASH = NO THANKS! I'm

SOVIET STYLE LIST? Dear Whistler,

Can you tell me how on earth one could expect to be considered for the dining room corridor exhibition? I had put my name down on Katy's list 18 months before the commencement of

1992 (during 1992,1 was told, I could expect a slot).

appalled that any consortium of good thinking, well drinking members should have been seduced by the tosh

would be happy to try and arrange it. Vera is ratherfrail and would very much enjoy, I'm sure, hearing from old Club acquaintances. Her address

necessary for forward planning and as 1992 approached I was very keyed up and excited at the prospect. I was a *new' member in June 1986, and apart from selling two pictures at the art auction, there did not seem to be any opportunity to show ones work except the corridor. I understandthe question

Sussex. ED.

produced by ASH.

Next issue

Of course the Club can try, yet again, to tum the loggia in to a saint-bin but popular usage, or lack of it, will again triumph. If the Club is to spend a fortune on smoke evacuation systems,

free zone in a Macdonald's or

elsewhere and enjoy puff-fiee fast food.

We should ask Auberon Waugh or A.

deadline:

May 15th

should live to age 87 and a non smoking male to age 91. Their

members.

Three (or more) cheers for the 'Whistler'! Great Magazine!

Yours Sincerely,

of smoke a bit earlier.

Yours at 51 and on 60 a day. Sherrell Macnaughtan

YESTERDAY...

Dear Whistler,

Congratulations on the recent lively issue of the journal. However, I was horrified by the letter from Peter Hope Lumley, my old

Clerihew:

snooker columnfor the Reports

letters received contain the name and address

of the correspondent Nofaxes please!

sent an emissary the other week who also described close links with Clubs

in Hungary, Germany and Italy. After

establish a relationship?

a recent letter I'm personally keen to make a trip to Oslo, as soon as 1can

As you know we have had reciprocal

exclusive eating and drinking

arrangements with a number of places

establishment for artists and actors

you. I have been thinking a lot about the Club lately. My sister and I

facilities of artistic and like-minded people abroad - a situation which 1am

worked there in 1926.1 am now 84

certain stimulates cheery exchanges of artistic inspiration and hospitality.

years old we had a very happy time

theircoimtries; TheModlinger Kunstlerbund near Vienna actually

me compile a list of Arts Clubs around the world with whom we could

1am taking the liberty of writing to

Dear Whistler,

Chelsea Arts Club Members visiting

readership and ask Members to help

in the British Isles and abroad for some time and these enable us to enjoy the company and social

there.

afford it, to visit the colourful and

who belong to the Orderofthe Purple Nose.

So if you are an Overseas Memberor

you are off travelling, drop me a hne at the Club with your recommendations and contact names,

and 111 publish the results soon.

friend. To think that I might end up with him on a blind date. Hence the

There is no bias against the snooker players by The Whistler editorial team. As a matter offact the Captain ofSnooker was invited to submit a

Letters intendedfor publication should be short and to the point It is essential that all

CLUBBABLE CLUBMEN? smoking cousinscan contemplate five years less. Who really wants to drag Dear Whistler, on to 87/91? Best to go out with a puff Can I takeadvantage of your wide

Val White

NOT A HOPE?

Yours sincerely.

section butfailed to do so!

N. Wilson to elaborate on their recent

I find the new selection system quite retum to equal opportunity for all

the final of the Hine league.

expense of most healthy and permanent smokers. The anti-smoking brigade can always choose a smoke-

tell me what the answer was?

undemocratic and would welcome the

illustrious snooker team that reached

Mike Stuart

national newspaper articles, in which they report that a non-smoking female

was raised at the AGM. Can someone

Dare I suggest that there seems to be an editorial bias against snooker. (See page 20 last issue) - full page coverage of chess and bridge. Not a word of our

is 9 Older Way, Angmering Green,

then it should not do so at the eventual

Being an overseas member, it was

Chairman, and numerous other

experiments have been tried.

hope you are not too boredwith this

very own Summer Balls.

Council and Chairman please note.

The snooker table issue has been going on for years. They have been removed before by Barry Fantoni, when hewas

I've already had a few letters from We knew Augustus John, Sir William Orpen and a lot of others. The steward

artists in Austria and Scandinavia who

Yours sincerely

are offering a warm welcome to

BiU Bingham.

THE WHISTLER 2

EDITORIAl

WKistler VOL 2 NÂť 1 SPRING 1993

THE FIRST journal of 1993 (three more to come) and once again the financial support ofCrowley Colosso, by way ofsponsorship, is gratefully acknowledged.

In This Issue...

It might come as a surprise to readers to hear that there areelements within

the Club that would like The Whistler to cease publication forthwith. The reasoning behind this being that it is not a viable publication and that the time and effort spent on it could be directed elsewhere with more obvious

Letters

results. Your editor's view on this is that The Whistler should not be seen so

much as a magazine but, moreimportantly, as a totallyindependent method of Members communicating witheach other - one that cannotbe interfered with by other interests. The joumal is only five issues old. It has established its financial inde pendence already - the new pagination brings the production costs firmly within budget - and one can only surmise at the motives of those that would like it to cease. Although the Club is famous for its lethargy, I would urgethe many interesting bodies that make up the membership to help the maga zine's development by contributing in some way. This repeated request for an interaction is rather boring and it is sad that the Jack of response appears only to reinforce the opinion ofthe Club's detractors that we are a collection of amateurs and failures kept alive by non-artist socialites. Anyone looking over the membership lists will know that this is untrue, of course, and I am delighted to welcome contributions in this issue from distinguished Clubbers like Brian Patten, Val Hennessy, Tony Paterson, Sane Lushington, Roger McGough and Simon Mundy. A last minute re-ahgnment of pages has required the Small Ads to be dropped out. Additionally, the Chairman thought that a questionnaire (mentioned in the last issue) should be thoroughly thought out to be of real use and therefore its appearance has been delayed to later in the year. As for using the 'paper as a vehicle for mass membership opinion - it seems that the snooker table(s) issue might well be the first opportunity that presents itself if the current debacle goes as far as a Special General Meeting. (See Michael Messenger's column for more details on this). Members will have noticed that Spring is on its way and we are sure to be

delighted byJane's effortsintheGarden. Shehas contributed a very detailed outline of her vision for the space in this issue and Don Grant has translated the text into a terrific diagram to clarifythe concept for non-gardening folk.

Laurie Lee Tribute Val Hennessy's Essay Rekindled

Open Comment Fire and Brimstone from Members

Club Garden

Jane Lushington explains

Art in Public Places

Tony Paterson Defends 1%

Whistler Room Notes

Chairman's Letter / Life Sentences

First Impression

Tom Northey Recollects ...

Roll on Summer...

Mike von Joel

With best wishes to all readers.

Reports

Snooker / Chess / Rowing

THE WHISTLER is published by the Chelsea Arts Club, 143 Old Church Street, London SW3.

Michael Messenger's Council Notes

Atl material ÂŠ THE WHISTLER EDITOR:

MIKE VON JOEL

CONSULTANT EDITORS:

HUGH GILBERT, BRIAN PATTEN

PRINTED BY:

D. WINTERBOTTOM HIGHART LIMITED

Messeng - eros

071 3763311

Fax 071 351 5986

COVER: Great Traditions Number 5

THE PLAN

to take Laurie Lee back to

Spain, back to Almunecar where, not so long

EXTRACT RED SKY AT SUNSET

ago, tile residents erected amonument to 75-

year-old Lorenzo Lee, the man they call Gran Escritor (great writer). With ail the full-blown

frenzy of a four-day fiesta, fireworks, paella

LAIMELEE

November saw the publication of Laurie Lee's autobiographical trilogy Red SkyAt Sunset, one ofthe 20th Century's most moving and lyrical biographies. To applaud this publication, The Whistler reprints (with her kind permission) VAL HENNESSY's original 1988 interview with our distinguished ClubI

contests, bull running and flamenco dancers, the Almunecarians celebrated Lee who, at the

age of 21, tramped the thousand kilometres from Vigo to Tarifa stopping for a year at

Aimunecar (1935-36) and later immortalising

it (as Castillo) in his lyrical bestseller As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning.

One person absent from the festivities was Lee himself, who nowadays panicsin crowds. T'm a retiring sort, don't relish being in the

spotlight,' he explained when we met to discuss plans to travel together to Almunecar. 'My invitation arrived, they planned topresent me with a golden avocado and give me the freedom of the city, but I persuaded a BBC man there to film the event to accept it on my behalf. 1 remember Almunecar as a small

comrade.

fishing village. I worked there all one winter in a hotel, in the kitchen, playing my violin at

night in the saloon bar with a chap on an accordion. I called it Castillo in my book because when it was published Franco was still alive and some of the people I'd written about wanted their identities concealed.'

Leeand I spent many hours in variousChelsea pubs planning our trip. 'Will you wear sunhat and shorts?' I asked him one evening as we tucked into a bar snack. 'Shorts? There's only one sort of shorts as far as I'm concemed, and

make mine a double, my dear,' replied Lee. He added that he didn't want any photos taken of him wearing swimming trunks because it wouldn't be good for his literary street cred and then waxed nostalgic about Almunecar in the 1930s.

'When I lived there 1 mixed with the ytJim?, village roughs; 1 was rather looked down on by the police who kept taking me in. 1 struck up some marvellous friendships with fishermen, waiters and some of the rather

grand girls, all fiercely chaperoned, who came

down from Granada. One of the girls. Consuelo, wrote me a little poem. She wasn't allowed to speak to me because of her strict

Catholic parents but her friend would pass me notes. The poem went to the tune of La Cucaracha...' Here Lee hummed me a few

bars and started singing the English translation: 'Tall compared to a poor stunted fisherman/blond and handsome and slim/is a

boy who has arrived/to play the violin/in the Hotel Mediterraneo/He is called Lorenzo'. 'Terrible rhymes. I can't remember where the declaration of love came in but I'd never had a poem written for me and I've adored her

for ever; her voluptuous face and huge dark eyes still haunt me. Consuelo is still one of my favourite names.'

As plans for our trip progressed Lee's enthusiasm waned. The thought offlying filled

Mm ii;:^

him with dread. His chest began playing up.

iliiiiiHSi

You'll bring me home in a box,' he said, eyes bloodshot behind smeared bifocals. 'And

ifyou do, make sure you don't leave my duty frees behind.' Several days later he phoned to say he was alarmed at the prospect ofbeing caught up in the Spanish air-traffic control

iiilSil â&#x20AC;˘d'llli K

disputes. They're facing 36-hour delays at Gatwick. he said. 'Stranded passengers have been offered Catholic masses, yoga classes and entertainment by clowns. Such things would drive me mad. Can't we go to

Bournemouth instead? I wish I'd been given

the freedom of the city of Bournemouth.'

While Ue prevaricated, several of my cynical riends suggested that the Almunecar THE WHISTLER 4 5]3jTeiHW dHl

monument was mecely a figment of the Gran

Eseritor's imagination. To check it out I flew

toSpain and arrived incentral Malaga by bus, which was held up for two hours between airport and town centre by a massive, slowmoving candle-litprocessionin honourof the

Virgin Mary. At least six thousand people seemed to be walking on their knees past the exittotheport, where a huge ferry from North

Africa had just docked. A thousand angry Spanish motorists back from Africa were

hemmed in and blowing their car homs. A truly Spanish welcome I thought. About 25 kilometres from Almunecar I found

a hostel managed (ifthat'stheright word) bya surly,almostmute gypsy womanwiththeblue Andalusian gypsy insigniaetched on her face. Atmidnight I went outfora bowl ofsteaming white beans, pork and black sausage, then back to the hostel and rang the bell at the closed door until the gypsy woman threw the keys down from the third floor. Her blaring telly kept me awake until dawn whenI finally feu asleep with just the odd bed-bug bite requiring a touch of Savlon. Next day I arrived in Almunecar, described in Lee's book as 'a tumbling little village built on

an outcrop of rock in the middle of a pebbly delta, backed by a bandsaw of mountains and fronted by a grey strip of sand... like cavelike shops had almost nothing to sell save sandals and sunflower seeds'. Today the 'tumbling little village' has construction cranes everywhere, concrete apartment blocks and souvenir shops. Tacky hotels and cafes occupy eveiy available square inch of the promenade. The grey strip of sand throngs with topless sunbathers. Madonna blares from trannies and

tellies, soft-pom mags wink from the news stands. Lee's monument and plaque thrusts skyward on the seafront by a supermercado and'the La .Roca apartment block. Back in London I broke it to Lee that the f^ric

ofSpanish rapture is not what it once was. He shook his head and peered bemused at my snaps of his monument. 'Ho-ho-ho. It would be extremely indelicate of me to say what it resembles, good gracious,' he said, and ordered

preserved with a kind of stark but honest

full of dark smoke and hot congestion... The

medievalism. By "honest" I mean that people had a sense of hospitality, honour and generosity which was based on poverty and

mother said, "Come, divert us a little. Touch

centuries of tradition.' .

(Imagine here a pause white more red wine is poured and a delicious dish of baby clam is broughtto thetable.Leeposesfora photograph

up a little tune"... I sat down on the ground and tore drunkenly into an Irish reel. They listened, open-mouthed, unable to make head or tail of it; I might have been playing a Tibetan prayer wheel. Then I tried a woozy fandango which I'd picked up in Zamora, and comprehension jerked them into life...'

and mutters, 7 bet T S Eliot wouldn't have

done this. Ted Hughes wouldn'teither.') 'I wasn't aware of it then, but when I walked

intothose villages at nightthepeople's reaction was exactly that of a small community as described in Homer - first they would sit you down give you wine, water to wash, some breadand olives and then,because you'd come

It seems extraordinary that Lee's feudal Spain, untouched by 20th-century artefacts, existed a mere 50 years ago. Yet, as Lee reminds us, 'The Spain I discovered didn't strike me as particularly different fixim my own village, Slad. I was a boy who had never been out of his Cotswold valley until the age of 19 when I left home wanting to see the world.'

"Re-reading this piece 4 years after it was first published reminds me that no man on this earth can exude as much charm (and, it has to be said, baloney) as Laurie Lee. I adore the man, I salute his biiUiance in

conversation, his wit, his gentleness,his intuitivegrasp ofa person's state ofmind, his wisdom and the irresist ible twinkle in his now, sadly,dimming eye. Of course it goes without saying that his poetry makes the toenails tingle. I once confessed to Laurie that if there is a Heaven I wouldn't mind going if he, Dickens, and Keats were already up there waiting to greet me. Laurie replied, "I'll bear that in mind, my dear, and when your time CQtnes I'll tum to Dickens and Keats and I'll say, ^Top up yer passes, lads, Val's on her way, things will soon start livening up...'" Actually to be in Heaven with Laurie and a bottle ofDry Blackthorn cider would be worth dying for." Fa/ Hennessy

a double scotch.

When I mentioned our proposed trip he hummed and hawed. He said his doctor wasn't

happy about him flying. He had high blood pressure. He ought to lose some weight. He then suggested: 'Why don't we abandon the Almunecar plan and go to a Spanish restaurant instead? It will save us a lot of time and

from the outside world, you were not only a visitor but someone who brought knowledge

castanets. Your editor will never know.'

'These people had no television, no wireless, probably no 'phones apart, maybe, from the doctor or the priest. Having settled me down they'd ask me questions, always the same questions: what is the price of bread? Howdid you get here? Are you married? Have you

Which is how Laurie Lee and I spent a magical

Waterloo, gorging ourselves on paella with someone called Paco twanging a guitar, a flamenco dancer called Caroline stomping,

twirling and rattling her castanets, and with Lee'sspellbinding reminiscences flowing faster

children? Where are you from? I'd say "Londres" and they'd say, "Is England in Londres?" When I told them I'd walked up there all the old ladies threw their hands up and shouted, "Oh no, it's not to be thought of. Bringmore waterfor Lorenzo's blistered feet".'

than the Rioja red.

'Oneof myrecurrent experiences was walking

along a long, white empty road leading to a primitive village. I'd arrive at early evening and be welcomed and taken over by everyone

because I was a young, blond stranger. You have to remember that it was a rare thing in those days of no tourism and no cars to see strangers.

The great good fortune I had when I was a

young man and left my Cotswold village to travel south, was to visita country untouched

by tourism, by war, orby the jetplane. Itwas

much.'

Lee was trapped in Almunecar by the outbreak of civil war. As he recalls: '1 was a political innocent. When I arrived I'd heard nothing about civil war. The further south I travelled the more I became conscious of unrest.

When war broke out there was a great deal of hope among the peasants. The villagers set up a flat over Almunecar's town hall and shouted, "This flag will be defended to the last drop of our blood". 1saw a grandpiano blazing outside the church, the wires snapping and jangling in the flames. In the middle of the turmoil I was woken one morning by people hammering on my door and shouting,

"Lorenzo, you are saved. Wakeup. Your king has sent you a ship".'

A destroyer had arrivedfromGibraltarand the village rushed out to watchas the young, pinkfaced officer came on shore to announce: "We

advised you to get out now Mr Lee, no panic but the Navy has been sent to pick up any British subjects who might be marooned". It was a sudden end to my year's adventure. The long arm reaching from home, the destroyer bobbing in the bay like an apron'd nanny. The villagers were astounded that the King of England had sent a ship for the hotel fiddler! When I sailed the bay was lined with my friends waving and shouting "Adios Lorenzo" across the water. I was ragged, a tramp, but I was piped aboard with great dignity. The captain shook my hand. I ate in the officers' mess and was ignorant of the pass-the-port procedure. When it came round I poured and gblped it down. When the moment came for the loyal toast I stood up and cracked my head on the beams. They explained that in the Navy you don't have to stand up.' Lee retimied to Almunecar briefly 15 years

ago. The sight of the ruined castle, seafront development, soimds of construction, mopeds and transistors drove him away. The old town still stands but many of the buildings Lee to make way for modem apartments.

of a place they long to know more about.'

lunchtime at Meson Don Phillipe near

with men, and no matter how welcome 1 was,

the sons or fathers always stood between me and the daughters. I didn't like that aspect

knew were razed after the war, or demolished

trouble, we can do the snaps with me sitting in front of a bullfight poster rattling some

So that is what we did.

In these days of Euro-culture we all look and think alike. I don't want to grumble about it, though. In 1935 the girls were still dressed in black, speechless, forbidden to communicate

'The same ritual happened over and over again in every small village. Then they'd notice my violin. They were poor, hardworking, their faces were weatherbeaten, their eyes screwed

upthroughgazinglongdistances when workitig in the fields.

'The Spain I saw, was in many ways, like the place I'd left, entirely ruled by the horse; nothing moved faster than the horse. I felt completely safe in Spain. I slept in vineyards, fields, under bridges and among the rocks of the sierras. I wrapped myself in a blanket, hung my violin on a tree and often woke up with goats and an old goatherd looking down at me. He would give me a piece of cheese, not saying much. I got a strong feeling that I was being treated with a kind of speechless reverence, as if 1 were a spiritual emanation.' 'Sometimes I'd stay at an inn. In those days the only travellers in Spain were carriers, waggoners and people driving packhorses and mule trains. I'd sleep on straw among the horses and mules in the stables, or in a room

Despite the lure of the monumentin his honour, the plaque and the golden avocado, his reluctance to go back is, 1am sure, because he likes to remember Spain as he described it in the final chapter of his book, gazing at it from the British destroyer.

'1 could hear the talk, the cries, the SpanishArab voices pitched to carry from Sierra to Sierra; the trickling sound of guitars dropping like water on water, eroding the long boredom of afternoons; and the songs, metallic, hatcheting the ear, honed with forlorn and unattainable lusts; the strangled poetry of boys, the choked chastity of girls... Spain drifted

away from me thunder-bright oh the horizon, and 1 left it there beneath the copper clouds.' ÂŠ VAL HENNESSY 1993

on the first floor when I could afford it.

CHiildren were often put in the managers.

Most people preferred the stables, sleeping all cosy among the animals. It has been like that

They'd see my violin and all faces would soften. It gave these people a sense of holiday

for two thousand years.'

Red Sky at Sunrise is published by Viking, a division of Penguin Books

to have someone who brought music into their village.'

'Mrs Thatcher's been to Spain, I see, and the Queen, but they will not see the Spain I saw. All the dignity, oddities and eccentricities I associate with Spain have been expunged by prosperity and TV.

(detail) is by Anthony Devas ARA. and hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

In his book Lee describes one such evening: 'I was half-drunk now: in fact I felt like a bonfire.

THE WHISTLER 5

at ÂŁ16.99. The Portrait of Laurie Lee

COMMENT SIMON MUNDY

WORDS DON GkANT/PbltkJuHI^SON

THE PENIS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS

The trouble with a nom de plume. Some say a pseudonym.

Is guessing which words come from whom IF EVER there was a time for Artists to

been a lemon. And the Artist is quite

blow a sustained raspberry at the rest of the world and get on with producing Art

happy about the fact because it,

for Arts sake it is now. For most of the

pointon thejourney to something very

last century governments (and those that want to be in govemments) have been demanding that Artists seiwe them as though the objectives of Art and politics were inseparable. Government needs to regenerate the economy - so should Art. Government needs to stand up for Free

worthwhile indeed.

Ruritania - so should Art. Government

must work to make us all nicer, more

cultivated people, so should Art. The terms have changed often - social realism in the Thirties, 'relevance' in

the Seventies; 'accountability' and 'accessability' now. In each case the motivation is the same. Don't upset the

apple cart. Provide some nice stuff to augment the national collection or fit the corporate wall.

Now and again the Left will admit something a bit braver because it depicts a journalistic message - 'alienation', is acceptable for example - as long as it means life under this government is hell. If it is seen to mean the Artist is

heartily sick of the whole pack of them (including partners, children, activists, consultants and the character who knows

nonetheless, may (or may not) be a

Is it a her or him?

We know who the Dickens Boz was.

Books which bubbled with Phiz, We don't mind what he wrote because He told us who he is

For all Artists work is always 'in

Q, George Eliot and Voltaire,

progress', rarely finished or satisfactory, always something to move on from. It

The Brontes aka Bell,

is invention, research and experiment. If it coincides with a market - fine. If not it is not the end of the world. It may

do later. For the Artist to qualify for the title the only requirement is that materials are used with genuine mastery; that stone is not hacked, paint not used without respect, that words are the best that can be found.

If that basic integrity is not abused the work will always have a point. Artists this century have generally done the world proud. While other professions have overseen economic chaos, political incompetence, social misery and

Ape, George Sand and Moliere Colette, Stendhal - all tell We know H Monro to be Saki Leslie Ward hid behind Spy

But a Ruskin who signs herselfJohnnie Is witless, wily and sly A confident critic would drop this Sensing that one would detect A turd in an Armus Horriblis Of course we've had the code checked! DONG RANT

educational decline, the Arts have

offered hope, understanding, relief and even monetary gain. Not every Artist will turn out to be great or even good, but the chances are that even the truly frightful Artists will damage the rest of humanity less than the professions that governing types find more comfortable,

bugger all about Art at the regional Arts board) the political correctness is deemed suspect.

if not - given the scandals that plague their number - more respectable.

There are two things that really scare the non-artists, whether they be 'in the business' or just bureaucrats wrestling with relevance. The first is the suspicion

to be sublime and those ideas, designed for Arts sake, will inspiremore than all the business and politics. They will

In the process a few ideas will turn out

that Artists wish to create because the

idea is complete without reference to

also be worth a bob or two and be around when the Secretaries of State

external criteria. The second is the notion

for National Heritage are so obscure thatnot even the mostminoruniversity

that a piece of which might seem like a great idea at the time tums out to have

will countenance a thesis on their

VENICE (1)

policies.

MORNING. FROM THE GIUDECCA

â&#x20AC;˘

Here; all country greetings claim to please

CHESS FIXTURES 1993

With glossy laurel leaves, harsh smell of thyme. There; gondolas rinsed by sepulchral seas

^d eastern palaces, ripped greedily from time;

But rising with Byzantine power to tell

Of empires down the coast stuffed tight with jewels, to hear Of looted monuments for friends to sell

Monday II January 93 Tuesday 26 January 93 Wednesday 3 February 93 Tuesday 23 February 93 Monday 8 March 93 Tuesday 30 March 93 Tuesday 13 April 93 Monday 19 April 93

Chelsea Arts

RAC

Friendly

RAG

Chelsea Arts

CUP

And dancebands for lost lovers in the empty square-

Then hidden masks in seedy bedrooms locked in lust With the great figures they'd researched all night

But now the Corsican is here, the Doge in flight! Shall we ften chide her for rapacious glut so soon-

Hurlingham

Chelsea Arts

CUP

East India

Chelsea Arts

CUP

Chelsea Arts

Sovile

CUP

Travellers'

Chelsea Arts

CUP

Chelsea Arts

Hurlingham

Chelsea Arts

Ox. & Com.

Friendly Friendly

The beautiful people bankrupt. All is lost'

We, who lost empires dancing in the afternoon?

THE WHISTLER 6

PETER JOHNSON

from April Meeting

COMMENT NICHOLAS STAGEY

Britain and simultaneously emphasising the need for exporting British art. Perhaps the FCO's contribution to British Council coffers

could be used to promote the arts a little more and language courses - its traditional preoccupation - a little less. (Why not divert

some of the ÂŁl(X)m or so armual grant to India

for promoting more British art in that country

believe thatboth thelevel and method offunding are in effect funding them to fail!'. This is

arrogant rubbish which needs repudiating - and inanycase,doesthegroup have a view? At all events, it is arrant nonsense tosuggest thatany group or anybody everachieves full potential. Theconcept ofperfectibility has been abandoned since St Augustine!

when English is in any case the common

Another Report Destined for the Bin? THEREPORT of the National ArtsandMedia Strategy Monitoring Group makes a sensible

For a semi-official document its authors seem

over-involved with the precarious position of

generosity to many other Commonwealth

gays and lesbians in British society, doubtless a politically correct posture but it 'butters no

countries.) Thecompilers ofthisreport indulge in a little dewy-eyed sentimentality when commenting on minority arts in Britain and assume that its practitioners are, or must be, 'victims'. This is a sad reflection on its authors because it is not a constructive but a condescending assumption.

attempting aHerculean task in endeavouring to On p58 paragraph 4, they state that 'in some cover theentire spectrum ofthe arts; the result,

case for more funding for the arts, yet alas, is that in some respects its strategies are

membership of the group is bereft of

businessmen, despite the fact that the report's authors appear to be aware of the growing interest and financial contribution of business tothe arts. Thislackof representation is all the more incomprehensible since the arts are also

or trade would havesoftened the apparatchik-

areas of art such as popular music, black musicians and musical influences dominate,

tooopaque andinotherstoodefinite. Moreover, thegroup is a consultative body, hence it reads authoritarian for them to declare (p7 para 4) that they are 'committed to putting these

help promote black art if not the whites in a

principles into practice...'

European country? Thereport then pronounces

commercial undertakings whether or not they Anuneven coverage of thesubject examined is are self-supporting. Moreover, co-opting tothe well reflected in the chapter (11) entitled group knowledgeable outsiders firom industry 'Beyond the United Kingdom'. These type approach and tone of the text

strategists, while extolling internationalism, are preoccupied with Europe. No mention is made of the need to promote British music,

I am encouraged to make a few comments on the body of the report in view of the manifest

musicians and composers in Africa, in Asia or

'humility' of the group - as expressed in paragraph three oftheirforeword. Thegroup is

language there? And similar conunent would

not be out of order referring to the FCO's

in Australia while much is made ofsupporting the art of black people in the UK. I certainly agree about extending cultural diversity in

although the business interests that control

these sectors are largely white'. Whites and business geta drubbing! Pray, whoelseshould magisterially (p58)'that (blackart) tendsnotto receive the recognition and investment from funding sources whichwould allow it to achieve

itsfull potential'. (The criteria of full potential are not spelled out.)

highly successful artists in Britain and

internationally long before members of the group were bom! Comments such as these will

not help increaseawareness of art by the public at home or abroad, nor will it enlist more

resources for the arts. I am always amazed at attempts to air grievances in documents which should aim to help marketing intellectual or

artistic products and help design a sensible strategy for the arts to make them more widely disseminated. Bybeingpartisanandtendentious, the report fails its terms of reference.

In view of my critical stance, I should mention that although I am a businessman, I have had some exposure to the arts. I was a trustee of the

SPNMfor 20 years(andchairman of the trustfor the last seven); active chairman (with Sir Claus Moser as deputy chairman) of Divertimenti, a

This is a very down-at-the-mouth statement

string orchestra; founder trustee of the Bankside

wishing the Brits to feel guilty and more so (p59) when emphasising that 'there is still considerable dissatisfaction with theway black

Gallery of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours; and a member of the Fulbright Comimssion, where we substantially increased the number of exchange arts fellowships! a

arts are supported. Black arts organisation

society, collected Druir de Suite amounting to

COIMAmi

parsnips'. This is a little over the top - as lesbians and gays have been prominent and

DM3,000,000 to distribute to the artists of

Germany- their percentage of the contribution

theygavetotheartand wealth of theircountry. In France in 1988, the ADAGP, the French collecting society received Droit de Suite amounting to FFl 3,000,000. Of the 4,500 members of the ADAGP about 1,200 received

Droit de Suite

Droit de Suite from 2,500 auction sales. The

The Case for Artists' Rights

hundred artists received more.

average income per artist being FFIO.OOO. One

Thesestatistics disprove anotherWhitfordpoint

to supportor work forDroit de Suitelegislation, activeor moral backing,is welcome. Speakers from the collecting societies of France and

Germany willgive theirviews andexperience. Droit de Suite will benefit all areas of the art

world. As the recent publication 'Drawn to Trouble' by Eric Hebbom shows: an artist

who, by making drawingsafterthe old masters and documenting his many years of dealing in forgerieswith the majorfigures and institutions of the art market and, whoby exposure in this book of the invalidity of their expertise and

IN THE August issue of the Artists' Newsletter and die Qielsea Arts Club journal 1992 was a

(inalienable right)or to,presumably, somebody else!(anephewpeihaps)?Laterquestions which

- that Droit de Suite does not benefit artists in

descriptionof Droit de Suite, the artists' right to receive,on resale of their work, a percentage of the sale. Although unknown to many artists in the United Kingdom, this is a legal right for artists across the world. England's governments

Whitford prefixed as formidable tumbled on:

receive no Droit de Suite from their work. All

Whatwouldconstitute an original woric of art?

honesty, proved this: ...that the dealers who wish to reject it [D.d.S] are not renowned for their understanding of art and what is involved

profits on the resale of work in England went to the dealers, the speculators, the auctioneers

for respect towards the artists on whose backs

lean to the powerful lobbying of the dealers associations and over the past fifty years have denied repeated requests from artists who worked for Droit de Suite to be legislated.

I am co-ordinating some of the opening moves of a new campaign for Droit de Suite in the United Kingdom. This campaign is supported by: The Design & Artists Copyright Society; Royal Society ofPainter Printmakers; Society of Wood Engravers National Association of Artists: The Societies of the Mall Galleries; and, Philip Nathan FRBS.

The last campaign which ran in the 'TOs was met by the Whitford Report 1977. In this, Whitfordpresentsa numberof pointspreceded by: "Ifthe governmentwere to introduceDroit

And what if an artist took some casts and then

brokethe mould?Although twenty eightother countries have managed to grapple with these difficulties, Whitford, seemingly perplexed and choosing to ignore this last fact concluded that after due consideration he could not reconunend

to government Droit de Suite. The government then issued green and white papers based on the analyses of his report. In the early '80s the council at the Royal Academy of Art, comprised in part of artist representatives, concurred with the view of the papers and report and agreed that, giving England's artists their right to Droit de Suite as many other countries had done, was not right. In Germany over this same period new regrrlations were instituted so that the German

general. The artists of England continued to

in the making of art Nor are they renowned

and the buyers.

their business is built. Droit de Suite for

The last campaign was put forward by only three societiesand it's rejection was backedby a small group of established artists; previous

England's artists would ultimately improve the quality of the work they receive and help them to understand the respect necessary for artists' needs within their working life.

campaigns appear to have been small. The argument against Droit de Suite is vacuous, it's only prerogative being greed. To learn from past mistakes is the rule of life for future success.

This campaign needs the backing of artists' societies and groups across the country. An extensive petition would mean that firrther down the line no one could say that the artists of the United Kingdom do not need, or do not

want,this fundamental right.The later stageof thecampaign mustbeprepared toexpectexpose and rebut another "Whitford".

law of 1965 for Droit de Suite could be more

The critic Brian Sewell sometimes refers to -

in a derogatory way - the frequent occurrence of the burnout of early promise. To anyone with a long term involvement in the gallery system this is not an inexplicable phenomena but an inevitable result. For the dealers and buyers and speculators, the future market would -

be eruiched in quality and therefore, in the

final analysis, fmancially bythispractical step of legislation for Droit de Suite. For the artist

therewouldbe a majorstepforward in financial justice and respect for the return on their life's work. The Droit de Suite campaign needs the backing of artists and the societies. If you, as an artist or your society, would be interested in attending the meeting send your name and

effectively administered. The new regulation provided for a 5% share in the resale proceeds

The Design and Artists' CopyrightSociety is already in place as the collecting Society; a

with a lower limit.of resale price at DM100 the aim being for graphic works to be taken

conjunction withDAGS possiblyin the Spring

address to:

The difficult questions ensue: should artists

into consideration.

of 1993. Details of dates will be published in

Deirdre Daines, Droit de Suite,

administer it or should a collecting society? Should Droit de Suite go to the artist

Artists' Newsletter. Information on a

do ChelseaArts Club(Office).

In 1989 Bildkunst, the German collecting

constructive approach for artists and societies

Old Church Street, SW3

de Suite in the UK a number of difficult

questions would have to be answered."

major meeting is planned in London in

THE FAMOUS CHELSEA ARTS CLUB GARDEN WILL NEVER LOCK THE SAME AGAIN. HERE, JANE EXPLAINS THE SOPHISTICATED SUB-TEXT CP WHAT SEEMS ON THE SURFACE TO BE ASIMPLE MATTER AND WEEDING. DON GRANT PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT VISUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE GAR

A Garden of

SOFT vlloL^

MA-^re a Touch Âť

Earthly Delights

QOU>

okAhwe SCARLET

FLAME

ATbucH

IT SEEMS strange, now that they are out, that there were no snowdrops growing here before, for this is an old garden and an even older site, which retains several native plants which may well have grown here since the land was farmed. These include the yellow flag iris by the pool, where, I am reliably informed by Rodney Thomas, the oldest memt)er, was once a duck

the fresh crumpled silk of vermilion poppies,

BUJ6

cFScmCT

VIOLET 5ALM0J

AFRiÂŤyr

under the sun at the June zenith of his climb. If

viHrrETbdcnes WRKBLUe

the sun is light, he is also white, and it seems to me that we may best track his progress through the year by the white flowers; the first snowdrop, hailing his return, and the last, with the ivy blossom and white chrysanthemums, to mark his going.

UME

pond. There is bracken, too, and wild Indian balsam, and the dwale, and sharp-scented Herb Robert straying in the flowerbeds... But there

The sun's return to this hemisphere echoes our own entrance from darkness to light, as does

were no snowdrops. There may once have

going from the relative gloom of the snookerroom out into the garden's lightness. To emphasise this, the plantings around the pond

been some, but London soil at the turn and

beginning of this century was so polluted with coal-dust that it would have become inimical

and the terrace will all be white, in each season.

to the snowdrop, a plant of woodlands, liking cool leafmould to grow through. Since the Clean Air Act, the coal tar impurities have somewhat leached out, and snowdrops can thrive again. So, in hope, I have planted some

There will be white roses, and lilies, phlox and

bulbs, and with, leafmould and cool situations, I hope they will increase for us in their new homes by the pond, and at the feet of the Gotto bronze.

The appearance of the first snowdrop '...which hails far summer with an uplift spear...' marks, for me, the moment when the Sun ceases to

dally in the Southern hemisphere and turns his face to the cooler beauty of the North: in the days after the Winter Solstice, and Christmas time, when the Earth tilts and starts to spin towards a longer day and more light, and we can go outside in daylight after tea again, and hear the blackbirds 'chinking' their love calls in the shrubberies...

The weather in January can, of course, be filthy. The fact the Sim is heading northwards again (I am aware science explains this rather differently) does not deter frost and fog, drizzle and slush. The snowdrop defies these bleak

elementals: a little flower, but thrusting up determinedly and daring the weather to do its worst; groups of snowdrops are spread white

SHED

narcissi, and meadowsweet and daisies, all in

their turns; and foxgloves, and Japanese anemones and the jasmine... glimmering by day and shining by night, and, hopefully, always

SILVER.

BloE

CRtMSOKi

CRlMSOtA MAOtSEPs

Puce

sweetly scented. But there is white, and there is white; an arum

lily is more cream than a daisy is more chalky than a rose... and it was Whistler who painted

QOLC)

his great 'Symphonies in White' to show how many shades there are of this magical colour, which also, as Light, contains all the colours. So to celebrate Whistler, and the sun, and all the arts, I have thought to do this.

APRICOT

However, if one looks at the high bright Sun, there is a halo of pinky-red (which I think is infra-red) and then, on the retina, comes a

burning after image of brightest scarlet... so that there will be, with the white flowers, the occasional touches of pink, and the most vivid scarlet, and blush-pink, on the edges of the

COLOUR PI

"Symphonies". As he said, "...in Music, a Symphony in F is not only composed of the note FFFFF..." and added, referring to the

colours as one walked away from the pond towards the loggia windows. Taking the hint of scarlet already there, it made a mix ofpinks and muskier tones of them, and silver-greys and cream and the spiky note of bronze and sapphire (from pansies) and soft mauves and

plantings. There have been some tail red lobelias by the pond all summer which have

Press, "...Fools!"

already done very well, and there are our pink foxgloves, seeding themselves where they

TTiinking ofpainting, thewhole garden seen as a plan most resembles a vast green palette in purples, in the bed under the War memorial shape, with the sycamore-tree thrust through tablets. Turning to the right, around the the thumbhole like agiant brush ormaul-stick, maulstick' of the sycamore tree, and going

grim on their shoulders, the vanguards of Spring. One sight of them is enough to carry me, in mind's eye, right through the progression

Sackvile-West laidout herfamous Kentgarden. Her White Garden was inspired by seeingher Tudor tower by moonlight, and hoping to capture that silvery ghostliness... my aim is to echothe brillianceof sunlight, andthe touches

of the season, from tulips to white roses, and

artists' garden, it seemed appropriate, if simplistic, to continue this suggested theme of a palette, and to lay it out as one lays out colours before starting to work. Having begun with lots ofwhite, 1found my trowel, acting as

of bright pigment Whistler included in his

palette-knife, beginning idly to mix in more

battling through alien Alps, white helmets pulled well down over their faces, green spears

(SUMMERS

and the pond as a little dipper of glittering

advancing like Hannibal's cohorts long ago,

FORPLE

VJilLET

please, and other touches of purest scarlet in a musk or a potentilla nearer the ground. In this red-pink colour accent, 1 wish to avoid the (currently fashionable) accusationof trying to create "a little Sissinghurst" where Vita

and green about the woods and orchards,

VEUOW

turpentine. When faced with the problem of

how to make this one garden seem truly THE

THE WHISTLER 8

towards the arbour, there is white again, and blues, both intense and silvery, and palest yellows, and limegreen to accent the sapphire of delphiniums. InJune,as a defiant statement,

there will be huge vermilion Oriental poppies here, with delphiniums and white roses; not

from any patriotic hark backs in my soul, but because June simply spells this combination, with huge bumblebees grovelling and growling

Fifte ex IT

camellia TT^ees IKIOAS

Yai£W Tt)

B0PF/CR£A^\

POTO

QOUt)

Vello\.1

SHROfe Beb

arbour was planted by Jane Coyle in memory of Peter Sachs; it is the old French variety "Madame Alfred Carriere". I give it, to encourage it, my prayers and copious nostrums

SEA-a^Nlj^ ) V&iUS LILAC WHITE

Gardens).

variety, "Great Maidens' blush", which seemed entirely suitable for the Venus. The French

Near to the dining room where the sun blazes hottest, I have again followed this cue, and

name for this rose is "Cuisse de Nymphe Emue", which I, in schoolgirl French, had always translated as "Thigh of Blushing

planted in the deepest,mostsumptuous purples, cerise, crimsons and bright mauves. Again, plants have been chosen that give the most

PALEST YeuLOvO cR.e?>f-\

Nymph.' David Parker will have it that it means "Quivering Thigh of Nymph"... well,

scent, lavenders, other herbs and the old-

WHtre

he would know...!

AKECUK WHITE-

&-Trn\^LU

ViHnH

^oSucT foiEieLuiJ WHITE

OTTO

Blush

rpoJ^b

WHlTt

CEEKtA Blush

A TOUCH 5PSCAi?L£T

shrubs of great age, a viburnum, sweet-scented, and the yellow Mahonia, misnamed, in my opinion, "Charity", having suffered its thoms. Here the garden, "goes yellow', for there is a spot here where, in summer, the sun comes in of a morning, above the Elm Park flats, and gilds the grass. Following him still, it seemed he was here giving a hint and that golden flowers and foliage were indicated. This soil is very poor because of the trees, the fig-tree here sucks at the ground like a green dragon-child at a pap; the manure has been piled on and I am making compost behind the laurels in the comer, hoping to shield this necessary garden practice behind honeysuckles and pale yellow climbing roses. The varieties of roses chosen for this site have been ordered, as have been most of our new ones, from Peter Beale's

Classic Roses in Norfolk. Two of my favourites are the buff-yellow "Gloire de Dijon" and "Princess of Nassau". What with others in the

garden, with French names, the rose list begins to read like the Continental railway system... "Gloire de Dijon", "Gloire Lyonnaise", "Gloire

room tables, and the Bar. What we will also

see, of course, from dining and snooker rooms, is, hopefully, an extension of the house's own style, and a theatrical extension of it as a floral backdrop to the general drama of Membere, guests, garden and house. From across the billiard tables - where the players are engaged in similar pursuits as I, potting little spheres of colour round a green space, in a sequence of colours... to the cypress trees, veiled (hopefully) in white ramblers in July, the scene should have coherence.

There will be more white and cream rambler

as do the candle-flames within; the billiard

and the white roses on and around it have matured

sufficiently to create the 'grove' effect

with cool musk scent. The ultimate effect will

In front of the Venus are now plants of hosta lilies whose great sculptured leaves and sea-

be as of draping antique laces against the dining room's green baize walls... and magical, hopefully. We'll see...

green tones will, I hope, echo the wavesof the

effect of ultramarine and vermilion and white

sea from whence Venus was bom, along with

From here, near the Gotto bronze, that sad

will best please... After the poppies are over,

palestblush and whiteroses,as in the Botticelli

the scheme in this bed will calm down

"Birth of Venus". White roses were sacred to

somewhat, and remain silvery and pale, so that

her, and anything said whilst wearing a crown of them in the mystic rites was secret (sub rosa), as of the confessional. There are also plants near her feet of the acanthus, whose leaves the Greeks carved into the capitals of Corinthian columns, and a bulb of a rare lily,

image made by a former Chairman in the First World War, when belief itself was beggared, the colour scheme deepens. Away from the house, and against a dark background, the colours may, nay, must, be hot and strong to sing out. There are reds, and simmering oranges, and sunset tones generally, as of Turner and van Gogh, and some softer sky tones of

the white Crinum. The white rose to climb the

violaceous blue, as of Monet, like the clouds

Last Spring, after 'renovation,' the arbour more resembled an arch. My firststepswereto try and

Bourbon roses, peonies, pansies, and irises of several sorts, and a long box of salmon coloured hyacinths for the Spring, to be seen from the big table, outside that window... for even when it is too chilly to go outside, the garden must invade the rooms with scent and colour; the one must join hands with the other. And, one day, as a good garden should, it will be possible to pick armfuls of flowers to deck the dining-

The dark green dining room is an echo of the dark green cypresses, the white lily spires should sway and flicker in the outside gloom,

roses to climb the cypress trees, though this effect will take time to mature (three years, maybe). The roses should climb the heights, and will fill the garden, especially of an evening,

restore its dimensions and character, tiiough it will take some time before the fig-tree recovers,

There will be, near the dining room windows, da Vinci's Madonna lilies, and crimson

de Brusselles"...

in the furry black bosses of the poppies* hearts, and coming out all sooty and cross, and sticky with honey... the vivid lapis lazuli of the delphiniums towering above, and white roses drooping in the heat. Romantic optimism is here apparent on my part... it will just as likely be "white roses drenching in the wet". We shall pray for sunshine, when it is hoped this

the arbour and the statue of Venus.

fashioned pinks, (including Chaucer's kind, Sops-in-Wine', and the favourite of the Paisley workers, 'Paisley Gem'.)

Beyond Venus,thereare some winter-flowering

WUIT&

one might follow its glimmering curves after dusk, without extra lights and walk towards

yellows, as in the spraysof Whistler's fireworks in his river Nocturne... ('Lights over Cremome

of manure, the latter doubtless more efficacious. The other roses are the old Alba

lOHlTC-

VJKrTH

around the glowing sun in his 'Impression of a Sunrise' of the Palace of Westminster; and

THE WHISTLER 9

tables' emerald felt reflects the vivid lawns. A

garden should marry with its house, and the house the garden. No people ever knew this better than Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens, and she at first a painter. It has been my aim and hope to have at least attempted something of the nobler precedents set by this

famous partnership; not spoiling what the garden already, intrinsically, was, but enhancing and beautifying it, and hoping too, that though there was not much to be seen in January, apart from (D.V) the emerging snowdrops, that this summer will begin to give proof of the efforts made last year. For myself,

it is as much part of my art as painting, and, like that, enjoyable to the point of indulgence, almost. Thaitks are due to the many members who have given plants from their own gardens, and much encouragement from everyone. •

DEBATE TONY PATERSON

1% Public Places Âť

Public THERE HAS always been, since the ising the commissioning ofworks of start of western civilization, 'art* art for siting inpublic places, whether

placed in public places; to show the as part of a development or to enwealth of the city or state, its politi- hance an urban situation. The boom cal or military strength, or to glory in the construction industry in the individuals. The best artists of the 1980's brought private consultants

day were commissioned to carry out into the picture to advise as to the the works and today, those which commissioning, siting oracquisition survive, are what tell us about the of works, society at the time and the develop ment of art. The writer incorporated the Public ArtDevelopmentTmst, which is an

Today we have photography and so- educational charity with the aim of phisticatedmethods ofrecording and acquiring commissions for the placstoring information. But with the in- ingofworks ofartin situations relatcreasing size of cities, thegrowth of ing to new buildings or in public population, the poor level of educa- place or parks. tion of the majority of people, and of The work of the Tmst continues thestandardisation of visual concepts despite the recession, with many through television, it is necessary to projects having been accomplished, introduce to the general gaze and hopefully ultimately to the public awareness,the aesthetic pleasures of works of art, colour, and buildings and create a demand for a more sophisticated and intellectual environ ment.

due to the quality and inspiration of the people who work for it, which has attracted support from property companies, local authorities and hospitals. Examples of the work art: 1 ) Hilary Carmels Carmen outside the Theatre Royal Nottingham.

In 1951 theFestivalofBritain pointed

the way topost-War Britain andart- 2) Michael Sandle's St. Georgeand ists in the reconstmction after the

Drago/z in Dorset Rise, London.

Blitz. But it was several years before

the concept developed, due to a sub-

3) KeithSmith's From the DarkCave

sequent reactionary and unsympa- on the exterior of Henrietta House, thetic government attitude. Gradually some work was com

London.

missioned, butnotintheinitial stages The Garden Festivals which started

ofthe planning ofabuilding, only to at Liverpool, have provided an op'dress it up'. At the beginning ofthe poitunity for the commissioning of 1980's public and local authorities works for the Festivals. Examples at began to take concerted initiative with developers to involve artists in

Gateshead were:

plex.

Armitage.

^ the planning of abuilding or com- 4) Richmond Oak by Kenneth ^

The Regional Arts Councils and

the Arts Council had officers con- 5) Assume the Position by David cemed with encouraging and organ-

Mach.

£4- ..

^•v-« ..-*•'.w*

the country.

sioned to relate to a particular situa tion or landscape, as was Richard Deacon's (6) Like a Ship at Canary

Arts Council, a report was published

Wharf.

iti>r>3^-^^^L

'-'

Some works have been commis

• '.; '.::''<3

Similar organisations to the Public Art Development Trust have been created and are functioning effec tively in their differing regions of

on 'Percent for Art', to endeavour to

have legislation passed making it mandatory for developers to include a percentage of the total cost of a development (costing above a figure to be agreed) on art, which would be an integral part of the whole devel opment. This is practised in parts of America and Europe. Britain as usual is slow and unenthusiastic in com

A,S^

In 1990, with the initiative of the

mitting itself to such a project. The arts have always needed pa tronage. The commissioning of work to be seen, talked about and enjoyed, hopefully, by the public, is a great source of patronage. It is inevitable

45'

that the commissioners of some

^ .

works are nervous to commission work that is considered too elitist

wV.^c rr.j-jSf

liifl

and to be 'gallery art', and that some ofthe work is not over sophisticated; also that the extent of the patronage causes personalised jealousies due to the works commissioned and alter

native proposals which were not.

But it must surely be accepted that the increase in the commissioning of

work for siting in place to be seen by the public, and form part of their visual experience, is an activity which must be encouraged and supported.

.'SRb''

THE WHISTLER 11

painting and joined Christie's to become head of

LIFE SENTENCES BINGO

CHAIRMAN'S LETTER

NEW FACES Bh"

ANDRAS KALDOR - Painter. Bom Budapest 1938 - left in 1956 on foot and arrived in Britain some

months later (on crutches?). Studied architecture in Edinburgh and practised for 20 years but gave it all up for love and painting in Dartmouth. Has his own gallery there and manages occasional luxury of trips to Old Church Street.

JOHN MASON - Photographer. Studiedart at Chel sea, then worked world-wide in many capacities -

head-hunter andhosiery specialist. 1986 Boilerhouse V & A; Association of Photographers Gold Award 1988 & 1989. First studio, in Regent's Park, was

once occupied by Edward Lear. To avoid the same fate as his. he moved to Smithfield where he now knocks up the occasional pastiche. Dear Members

FIFTIETH BIRTHDAYS seem to be all around us, happy birthday Martin Fuller, Barry

Martinand BillBingham. And congratulations Bill, who for the lastcouple of yearshas been commissioning some twenty artists to paintself-portraits. Thesewill be exhibited to celebrate his birthday from 23rd March at the Flowers Gallery in Silver Place, Soho.

MURRAY GORDON - Company chairman. Lt-Col (acting) India and Burma. Chm Combined English Stores Group Ltd; memb Royal Nat Theatre Devpt Cncl; tstee and memb Cncl Soc for the Promotion of

New Music. Also memb Royal Soc for Arts, and Fimn of the Cty of Lndn. Likes glf, tnns. sqsh, and rcng.

The recent Valentine Party passed successfully, and congratulations to Club staff and Sarah Charles and Michael B. White for hard work and for decorations which helped

flavour the 'cross dressers' party with a touch of the macabre.

The proposed sculpture exhibition to be held in the Club's garden during the summer is progressing well; twenty or so sculptors have agreed to participate. Wewould also like to openthe Club to the public on a strictly limited basis (perhaps twohours a dayduring afternoons on specified days) during Ae period of the exhibition. Apart firom the anticipated viewings andparties which will accompany theexhibition, debates andother activities designed tochallenge the thinking Member areplanned. Members with anidea or contribution which they would like to execute, please come forward.

A nettle which the Council has grasped recentlyis the matter of billiard tables.The last Council meeting agreed that after many representations by Members an experiment wouldbe worth trying. Untilearly April, theGuestbilliardtablewillremain dismantled, and the piano will be located in its place. The suggestion is that Members will feel encouraged to make more use of the Members Bar when there is room to use it for the purposes of socialising.

The proposal is that the Guest billiard table will be erected during the summer months when the garden is available, and will be put into store during the winter to make more space available to Members. The central or Members billiard table is not being consid ered in the proposal, it has a position in the Club which I believe all Members would want to defend. I would encourage Members to think about this proposal seriously, and if you have any feelings one way or the other, please let me know. This is an emotive subject and is already rousing passions on both sides. The no smoking rule in the Loggia of the dining room, has been well accepted and does

provide a smoke free area... now you don't have to go home with a smokey aroma after dining at the Club.

Air Conditioning. This thorny subject is now hopefully to be resolved. Planning consent will immediately be sought for installation of air extraction units in the Members Bar, and units which change air, will be coupled with the existing units which heat and cool the air in the room. Heavy duty filtration units will be installed in the dining room,

coupled with air extractionto provide with a mixtureof air change, heat and cool. A new telephone system has now been installed throughout the Club... this will allow Members to makephone calls from their rooms, call the hall steward and allow calls into the Club to be routed to Members rooms. I hope this facility meets with some of the criticisms we are sometimes faced with by country and overseas Members.

New Members... About this time, Council begins to elect to fill the vacancies which occur during the courseof the year. It is noticible that the number of candidates who fall into the Associate category outweigh the vacancies by a factor of about eighteen to one, and the number of candidates who fulfil the requirement of Ordinary Membership are about two to each available place. Next to this, you will see two columns which introduces new Members who have joined us over recent months.

FRANCES KENNETT MA (Oxon) - Author: biog

('The Painters of Caroden Town'm 1988 was otc of his). Left Christie's and moved to Scotland. These days he writes, does valuations, and he's pamUng

again in earnest, and selling.

TIM SCOTT BOLTON - Fainter. Started painting full-time in 1984 after a career as a land agent and training part-time at the Heatherly. Home is Summerleaze House in WUtshire which is mn as a

lecture theatre and centre for courses. Works and teaches in watercolours choosing British and foreign landscapes as inspir^ion.

MICHAEL BUHLER ARCA - Painter. Son of Robert. Has shown at many venues inLondon, Kent, Durham, and Northern Ireland. Appears in several

public coilecUons including the Arts Councils ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland, DoE, Nuffield, RA,

Liverpool University, Carlisle City Museum, British Museum and Cooke Foundation, not to mention mu seums in Brazil. Won the Rowney Award in 1984. His work is described as "ambitious, colourful and

original". Healsocollects oldtoys and games. JANE CORSELLIS NEAC, RBA, ARWA, ARWS - Painter. Studied at Byam Shaw. Has itchy feet but also loves London and Wales. Shown in Hong Kong,

Ottawa, KualaLumpur and London; New Academy,

Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Royal Acad emy Summer Show. Awards: De Lazlo Medal, Crit

sionate about Jazz music, and is currently working

ic's Prize (Brian Sewell) NEAC. Hallam Purchase, Rowney Daler and Warburg.

on the TVscreenplay of her novel 'Lady Jazz'. Writ ing heroes are Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison. Regularly conducts seminars for would-be writers. When not writingenjoys food, exercise and sleep.

LUCE g6aS MSc (LSE) - Painter. Bom in Pro vence,but living and working in London for the past 20 years. Agr6g6e de I'Universitd at the Sorbonne,

raphies; craft and fashion books; several novels. Pas

and after the LSE became lecturer in political science VALERIE SINGLETON - Broadcaster. Trained as

at various universities. Resigned in 1980 to paint

an actress at RADA. Many years with Blue Peter,

full-time. Produces land and seascapes in oil, her favourite medium, but also works in watercolour and

then Nationwide, own series of travel programmes.

Tonight, Money Programme; the last 11 years has seen her presenting the PM programmeon Radio 4. Sadly, nowadays, she's rarely heard saying, "Here's one I made earlier". Many pastimes include sailing and socialising.

pastel. Shown in London, Paris and HongKong. MARGUERITE HORNER BA - Scenic Artist. Trained at Sheffield, and at the BBC, working on

anything from portraits to large backcloths. After that, and a trompe I'oeil for a palace in Abu Dhabi,

she now works mostly in advertising with photogra JONATHAN STEDALL - Film producer. First a phers like Adrian Flowers, David Bailey and Graham builders' merchant in family business, then stage Fold. Has a handful of home helpers. Holly, Harvey manager axCvoydon Rep and film cutler at Pinewood. Spent from 1968 until 1990 making docuraentaiiesi and Harriet (nox fotgetxing husband, Grenville). for the BBC, now freelance. Work includes 'Time ALAN SHORT MA (Cantab), Dipl Arch RIB^ with Betjeman', Alan Bennett's 'Dinner at Noon' and a profile of Beryl Cook for the 'One Pair of Architect. An award-winning 'green' architect. Har row, Cambridge and Harvard-educated and lectures Eyes' series. Most recent work: 'Another Christmas' at Manchester, Leicester, Edinburgh, Cambridge and for Everyman featuring Oliver Heywood. Washington, USA, also the V & A Graduate School. Once thought of as cranky for its attitude to CFCs HELGA PROSSER BA (Cape Town) - Sculptor (the scourge of the ozone-layer), his firm puts heavy and watercolourisl. Studied fine art and sculpture in emphasis on using natural, local materials, and also South Africa, and won the Michaelis Prize in 1952. employs sophisticated physics to provide healthier Lived in Britain since 1959 with many exhibitions in Wales and London, Commissions include Football

interiors. Alan is married to the niece of the Marquis

ers in Cwmbran and Leapfioggers in Ebbw Vale. She's spending the next couple of months in Cape Town and would be delighted to hear from any visit ing member. Passions are welding, steel and ceram-

Scicluna, a surrealist painter and sculptor in Malta.

DE ANNA McLaren - Author and journalist. Some times known as Caroline Courtney. Last book, 'The Single File', is often raided by library-goers for sec tions on where and where not to meet the opposite sex. After a recent meeting with Barbara Cartland (who wore embroidered pink Crimplene) she claims

SILVIE TURNER - artist, writer, author, publisher. Loves and specialises in everything concerned with contemporary print-making and hand- and mouldmade paper - making, selling, writing about, lectur

ing on the business of, organising exhibitions about publishing, advising on and collecting, etc. Trades under 'estamp' logo.

IVY HOWARD - Painter. Widow of William

Howard, FRIBA. and sister of Russell Reeve, RA.

clothes. Other interests: gardening, opera, jazz, and

Attended Chelsea under Lawrence Gowing. Showed atRoyal Academy Summer Show in 1960-70s, Royal

walking in London, Paris and the South Downs.

Portrait Society and other venues in London and

ALMA TAFT - current affairs TV Producer. Credits

Newcastle on Tyne. When not painting she teaches, studies harpsichord with Valda Aveling, studies fine

she can now offer members corrective advice ... on

include Sixty Minutes, Newsnight. TV Eye, Na ture, Spitting Image, The Cook Report, Encounter and Project Orbis. Contributed to the international fight against drugs with series like Crack Babies, and 'The Spanish Connection' for Dispatches. Still writes for the national press. Dark horse at recent

wine, and devotes much time to the Art Workers Guild.

LINDA WARREN - Fashion designer. Trained at Medway College in Rochester, now based in London

and running her own design consxiltancy. One of her

table-tennis contest,unexpectedly carrying off top

recent commissions was to produce the latest Lon

honours.

don Underground uniform. Spare time is spent en

LUKE ELWES - Painter. Training at Camberwell was followed by brief but insolvent career at Christies. Now spends much time exploring remote lands and

Steve Siimnonds restore his boat on the Thames.

getting lostindeserts. SisterWendy Beckett describes his style as having "zany sobriety". Exhibitions in Franceand America, and is now preparing his third

ROBIN de BEAUMONT - Architect and antiquar ian bock dealer. Read architecture at Cambridge and toe helped build toe 1951 Exhibition Transport

It is axiomatic that the state of the economy has a direct effect on Members pockets and in some cases their ability to maintain subscriptions. Members who are unable to meet their subscriptions may write to the Chairman and apply to have their subscription waived or to suggestsomeother arrangement. The Club is substantially dependentupon its subscription account, and will be needingto enforcethis area of operations during the coming year.

With all good wishes for the coming year, to all Members, and to every one who has a

one-man show for Rebecca Hossack in 1993.

birthday this year, Happy Birthday!

Modem British pictures and exhibitions organiser

joying art from Cork Street to the Tate, and helping

Musical tastes include classics, Clapton and jazz.

Pavibon, and the tower blocks ofthe 60s and 70s for

Concrete Ltd. Changed career with Stanley Gibbons,

FRANCIS FARMAR - Painter and fine art consult

Hugh Gilbert

ant. At school dodged rugger for drawing lessons. Fled to Florence and the Simi Drawing Academy and

Chairman

returned to St Martins and then Bristol. Bailed out of

THE WHISTLER 12

settmg up their book business, and ultimately his

^n. E^her this year he donated his coUection of

^tratorsof 1860s to the BM.

of English illus

FIRST IMPRESSION TOM NORTHEY

Coming straight off the street into the gloom of the lobby and then into the

Anyone for Tea?

even darker corridor was a mite

depressing actually, but then to walk through into the billiards room was like going to Heaven. There was Bridie

Council Member

Tom Northey recollects his first visit

are being used the Club can look like an

Edward Hopper painting, particularly The Night Hawks. The way that the Club looks if you sit in the window seat and look towards the Bar, just like Greg Toland's photography of Citizen Kane. The easy going manner of the Club's members, the sheer conviviality of the place.

mM'^ //-

to the Club. I WELL remember my first visit to the Arts Club. It was during the immediate

post-Treacey days following Sean's death. In common with a quantity of "Elm-ites" I had decamped to the

Eventually, Norman offered to propose me and Patrick Hughes seconded my application for Membership. Then came the sadness. Between proposing me and my election to the Club, Norman died. I never did get to buy him a drink as a "legit" member.

"PrincessofWales" in Dovehouse Street because of the destruction of the Elm's

unique character, finding David McKeogh a much more sympathetic host to quality drinking people. During my time there I had got to know Norman Stevens reasonably well and we hadworked together on a number of mutuallybeneficial "diddles". This was during the Dark Ages for drinkers when

I thought of Norman the other day. Dudley was talking to a ventilation engineer in the Bar and asked him if he never even knew quite where it was. So

pubs shut at 3.00 prompt on Saturday afternoons. Comes chucking out time

off we toddle.

one day and Norman says, "Ever been

It was one of those bright early autumn days when Chelsea always looks at its best, particularly with that luminescent light that sometimes settles on areas close to large quantities of flowingwater.

to the Arts Club?"

Now, although I had lived in the area for over 25 years I had never been in,

Because of Norman's generosity I was able to make quite a few visits to the Club as his guest. I began to absorb some of its unique atmosphere and appreciate its own idiosyncrasies. The way that in the evening when both tables

presiding with magisterial calm over the Bar, a couple of the "snookia" were playing on the Member's Table. You could hear Geoffrey Dove enjoying his

said the guy, "but when I walked through the door I thought I had fallen through the looking glass!" I wish I had said

lunch off somewhere else and it was

that.

had ever been in the Club before. "No",

still warm enough to take our drinks and sandwiches out into the Garden. Paradise!

And I swear I heard a voice whisper: "You will, pally, you will..." â&#x20AC;˘

MEDlJk REPORT NMAUE WHEEM

You can see what I mean

when you hear what I say... positively gasping at the suggested make sure we have the right words for rape in an early Cezanne.Itjust doesn't these invisible images we're putting are better on radio. Of course it does go with that wimple - and the wimple before the audience - so also must the depend on who's holding the camera doesn't go with the paintings, one is artist make the image speak to the when you get these TV art series: all led to speculate on all kindsof frivolous programme planners in the first place. A little temptation in the visual those royal pictures went past so fast questions on what lies beneath. possibilities certainly goes a long way thatblinkandyou'dmissthecrucial part to get the idea on the list. Presenters weren't always such a ofapainting.The directorwas a virtuoso of TV twitch which doesn't trust your distraction -1 have a dim memory of

WELL, I'VE tried it again. Twice in fact-andstill I'd argue that the pictures

among those in the know. But I don't think they yet have explored off the main, well-lit highways of received cultural wisdom. And Third Opinion

is surely the only guardian of that flame.

Where you can find an interesting mix on Radio 3 - cross over arts - is actually on the aftemoon drive-time music show

Kenneth Clark, terrorising us into Civilisation. Better marks go to that

The nature of the seduction of course

recent programme on Piero della

result to be: the tried and tested

is there's a musical link; on my show,

Francesca which had me captivated at the end with that detailed examination

Kaleidoscope has an audience which

his royal charges tothe vulgarity ofaTV else had long dropped offcar-sickfrom

among kites and African flags, bamboo forests, rivers of gold, the Mexican exhibition, Maggi Hambling's monotypes and Mantegna.

so far, Bridget Riley has linked us to Stravinsky, the BM's new Joseph E. Hotung Gallery suggested music by all those composers who were mesmerised by the Orient, and Sickert cued up some wonderful music hall

common orgarden eyetoholdanimage formore than five seconds. On the other

hand, itwasprobably meantasa counter balance to Christopher Lloyd's

depends on what you hope the end In Tune. You're in with a strong chance

is alive and interested in new

extraordinarily lack lustre enthusiasm experience - this year I've ranged for painting word-pictures to introduce ofhis use of perspective. But everyone audience.

all the driving around Tuscany that

filled the gaps between pictures.

But Sister Wendy is no better, she

talks only about the subject matter and But if pictures are much better on

numbers.

On Radio 3's Nightwaves it's more of It's always been down to that simple not the painting. Hers is a toothsome radio, there's a built-in snag in that a genial discussion around the matterofknowinghowtomaketheright voyeurism, lusting atStanleySpencer s veryfew people in radio believe it. So possibilities, good after dinner talk kind of connections. â&#x20AC;˘ way with fluffy pubic hair and just as we have to work quite hard to THE WHISTLER 13 j:r

5HT

ROWING AlllSTER BOWTELL

REPORTS THE CHESS season started

well with our team winning two of the three cup matches - (Hamilton - Russell) -

played so far and the other match resulted in a draw.

chess players. Who said chess players were thick on the ground? The terminating date for our Club championship is the end of June, all games must be played by then. A presentation of the chess trophy to the winner will be the highlight of the annual

Good stuff! We had a good win against the Oxford and Cambridge Club 3'A to 2\^ with the last game to finish, a cliff-hanging draw on the top board clinching the victory. Fine wins were had by David Cohen, Mike

chess correspondent for the

Radcliffe and Joe Coles for

Standard and Guardian

our team, and a drawn game for myself produced the desired result. A win against

newspapers has kindly agreed to play us a simultaneous match and give

Brooks's club 4 to 2 and a

a short talk about chess.

draw against the Atheneum club/with Peter Aylett's good win on board six assuring us of that, completes our cup matches

Jonathan Speelman has also kindly agreed to play a simultaneous match against

to date. In the Club

Championship after two rounds David Cohen remains unbeaten with two wins -

and seven rounds to go. The action is hotting up ! Finally, special thanks to Raymond Keene GM for his

convincing simultaneous display against us in November. It produced a fairly clean sweep in Ray's favour with one drawn game against the guest player J. Littlejohn.

UPDATE INTER-CLUB matches this

chess dinner (to be

arranged). Leonard Barden, the

the river. Again this year

Children's Trust and also

our chaps entered the Vesta Veteran VIII's Head of the

to interview the master

raised greater attention towards the forthcoming world championship match between Gary Kasparov and our own Nigel Short. It

being rowed this time from Putney to Chiswick and having rowed it in an

need more oarsmen,

himself.

would seem that at the time

admirable 23 min, one

anyone interested should

Simpsons in the Strand was

of writing this, London has two bids in the ring to host the championship with Manchester the only other

nearly one hundred crews,of course, they then

immortal match between

serious contender.

had to row the 4'/^ miles

and three of us own

Anderssen and Kieseritsky (in 1851). This was the first

back to Putney. Nick Allen was the most prolific regatta freak of the season competing in his sculling

sculling boats.We want to buy a IV of our own next

newspaper reporters that turned up. At one time ten TV crews were battling it out

the home of British chess in

the Nineteenth Century hosting the historic,

international chess

Whichever way the organisers decide, it would seem that England will host

toumament in the world and

the championship probably

justified Mr Samuel Reiss's founding of Simpsons in 1828 as the epicentre of

set to run in August or September this year. A very exciting period awaits!#

River, the 4\^ mile course

Allister Bowtell did the Dartmouth to Totnes Head,

9'/i miles of windswept hell in his sculling boat. Nick was the only winner, Putney Town and Horseferry, well done. We

minute faster than last year,

contact Allister Bowtell on

and finished 67 out of

081 788 0114 or Crozie Jenkins on 071 731 8562. We now own a double scull

boat at the Scullers Head,

Putney Town, Monmouth, Hereford, Bames and

season, Catherine

Shakespeare Lane will be coxing us, so roll up roll up and join us jolly tars and get fit! •

chess.

SNOOKER MICHAEL MESSENGER

Brandy Balls

Cognac Club Toumament even though there are prizes for coming second we want the full laurels this time.

Having mentioned at the dinner that snooker is

always the target of some malcontents' arrows, it

came to pass soon after that The Club Toumament

the Chairman in Council

survived its delay into the

proposed dismantling the %uesX \.ab\e tei oi eacYv year, during the winter. At present this is being tested until April 1st. It's another

new year and mmed out

of British chess as most

and we cooled the

people hoped it would. Gary Kasparov, the World Chess Champion, had agreed to come to London to Simpsons in the Strand, to play against 25 teams each composed of four players. Each team was sponsored for £1,000 by their company (or privately).

Caledonian and overcame

right well, with some good nip and tuck matches progressed with some vigour, leading up to the Final: Hoot some upsets and some way nipping Harry and Willy to go - thank you for the new Nick tucking John Nich. cloth, one and all. Frankly, the Final was not as wired up as we'd hoped UPDATE since Willy was in focus and

the United Oxford and

TIME BEING the evanescent

Hoot was not. So Will won -

Cambridge, to reach the final, having also walked

thing that it is, its gone, and shortly we will embark on the second year of the Hine

well done, and John

Big thanks to R.O'R and all of you who have raised

Nicolson got a cup. too, for doing as well as he did.

signatures for a SGM. Keep canvassing. #

us in the near future. Dates

for both of these to be

arranged. Wednesday J7th Februaiy proved to be as exciting a day in the histoiy

IT'S BEEN well busy around the big green. We were invited to participate in the inaugural Hine Cognac London Clubs competition,

round. The fmal was the

R.A.C. at their potting palace in Pall Mall.

champion - Max Dlugy - and

Dastardly revisionists that they are, they produced two unknown protagonists of higher quality than our Billy

an IM in their team. Such is

M. and our Mike S. could

the competitiveness in top

match; Harry S. (as always also ours) so nearly triumphed and I managed to mince their captain so, 3-1

. One such team, the Banker's Trust, had even included a former US

soon deflated with a loss

the teams to their doom,

After a tremendous dinner,

against the same club in a cup match later that month. We also came unglued against the Hurlingham Club in early February, losing 2-3.

at which I am pleased to say Hugh Gilbert was present, we were done 4-2. If only... Blah, Blah. ...a great competition; good humour and we will get in next time.

class chess with the world

The House toumament

over the Reform in the first

champion in attendance. He seemed to flinch only slightly as he dispatched all

down out of 6 matches.

However, this was the same

drawing three games only. I was invited to the day along with David Cohen and his wife, fashion designer Betty Jackson. The latter very kindly donated a design

evening that the IRA decided

from her collection to be

to bomb several London

auctioned along with a chess drawing from myself. My drawing eventually fetched £1,000 auctioned by Lloyd

The R.A.C. country club

and R.A.C Pall Mall was

Grossman, who was one of

back for morein late

Sad news too from the

races as we did and yet

£30,000 for the Sick

year proved problematic. A draw against the RAC Club in a friendly match in January (3 all) had our hopes flying high, but this temporary elevation was

train stations preventing two of our regular team players from making the match.

could have lost as many

Mortlake, Horseferry and

Reading regattas. Our four entered Putney Town and Lensbury regattas and

The day realised more than

avalanche of television and

Board News

ONLY THE Arts Club

have engendered such mystique and admiration on

Simpsons, had anticipated a successful day they had certainly not prepared for the

CHESS BARRY AAARTIN

Submarine Sculls?

also stitched us 7-5 on a

particularly cavalier evening

East India Club who have

the organisers along with

November. Will we never

had to pull out of this years' competition due to lack of

Ray Keene GM. If the

rid ourselves of these

organisers, along with

damned suits?

Thatsinking feelingi

battle we must win to

prevent yet more aspects of tradition, sanity and sanctity from disappearing at the Club.

COUNCIL NOTES MICHAEL MESSENGER WORDS ROGER McGOUGH

THE INSn)E STORY THIS IS intended to be an off-the-cuff column relating to what has been discussed inCouncil Meetings since the actual Minutes are "classified

information". Unfortunately the only organof exposure is The Whistler which meansthat a lot of relevant information

examination - we have to go through them aU soifyou recall any backloggers who you have proposed, now isa good

The Trouble with Snowmen

time to reawaken us Council folk via the Suggestions Box. 3) The correctclassification of Membere

Said my father one year

as Ordinary, Associate etc. This is not a

'They are no sooner made

'The trouble with snowmen,'

coming out ofCouncil canonlybegiven witch hunt but its is simply likely to column inchesonce every three months result in more Ordinary (artist) spaces or so. I think we ought to print a page being available. synopsis aftereachmeeting, availableto 4) The true nature of reciprocal whomsoever might want to see it. Please

writein via the Suggestions Box if this makes sense to you.

So, Since September when the Council changed, discussions have included the following topics:

Than they just disappear. I'll build you a snowman And I'll build it to last

memberships -anemotivesubject. Again not a witch hunt but it seems only reasonable to protect the rights of

Add sand and cement And then have it cast.

Members. However, some think we are being heavy handed and insensitive.

And so every winter,' He went on to explain

5) Snooker tables. A majority motion

1)The Air Conditioning or lack of it -

was carried to experiment with the removal oftheend table-thisexperiment runs until April 1st to judge the reaction

near to resolution now.

totherealproposal whichistolayupone

2) The huge backlog of Membership applications that have not come up for

table for the Winter months. There

And that snowman still stands

certainly will be a reaction!

Though my father is gone Out there in the garden Like an unmarked gravestone.

'You shall have a snowman

Be it sunshine or rain.'

•

STOP PRESS

1993 HAS kicked off to a good start for the Club's reputation. The Hunt ing/Observer Art Prize, showcased at

hear from any Members who want to support the Oscar Wilde Society -

the Mall Galleries, London, saw two

Wilde's connections with the Club

Staring up at the house Gross and misshapen As if waiting for something Bad to happen.

ANDREW McDonnell is still keen to

Members high in the list of winners. through Jimmie Whistler do not need Council Member David Remfrey was expanding on here, although he never awarded Second Prize (£3000) for his knew its Old Church Street home hav painting Shadowy Friends; and our ing died before our remove. The OWS own Julian 'Jake' Paltenghi scored has many supporters, especially in the the Travel Award (painting trip to In USA and Andrew has a lot of infor dia) for Pears with Shadow. mation to give Members who would Well done chaps!... and well done like to get involved. Please contact him via the Club (or Hunting Group for sticking with the Art world despite its current unfash fax your name and address to him on ionable status.

For as the years pass And I grow older When summers seem short

And winters colder.

The snowmen I envy As I watch children play Are the ones that are made

And then fade away.

0865-56788).

EX PATRIA After supper, we move out on to the veranda. Moths flit between lamps. We drink, think about sex and consider how best to wreck each other's lives.

At the river's edge, the kitchen maids are washing up. In the age old tradition, they slap the plates against the side of a rock, singing tonelessly.

Like tiny chauffeurs,the mosquitoes will soon arrive and drive us home. O England, how I miss you.

Ascot, Henley, Wimbledon. It's the little things. Roger McGough

From DefyingGravity published by Viking at £9.99. Eaf your hearts outyou barHies

THE WHISTLER 15

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For lurihcr inroniialion plousc coniaci us Telephone+44 71 2S3 2(K)() Faesiniile+44 71 626 4245

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