Clive at The Gregynog Gallery, 2

Here are more pictures of the preparations for the retrospective of Clive Hicks-Jenkins at The Gregynog Gallery of The National Library of Wales. If you peek around, you may see:  Clive with Iwan of the White Gloves; Clive with Peter Wakelin; St. George; my bedroom at Ty Isaf (how did that get in there? wasn't he cute to provide a bear?) complete the two books published in honor of Clive and his retrospective; me looking just arrived, jet-lagged, and hanging on to Clive as though I might slide off into the abyss of sleep (my double-jointedness is showing); Ezekiel; still life paintings waiting patiently; the car leftover from the prior last show.

Clive at The Gregynog Gallery, 1

Pictures 1-2, Clive's toy theatre

2. Toy theatre wolf with Ty Isaf and gardens

3. Clive with his annunciation paintings and Iwan,
white-gloved to protect the art. (Clive wear gloves? Never!)

4. The nearest painting is "The Prophet Fed by a Raven."
Close by is a car from the prior exhibition--Dave Bonta
took a picture when Clive and I hopped in for a spin.
We did not get far...

I don't want to talk about funerals or long college-ferryings or the depredations of hurricane Irene, so I shall do something else entirely. I'm going to post some pictures from the 60th birthday retrospective of Clive Hicks-Jenkins at The Gregynog Galley of The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The retrospective closed on the 20th of August, so it's time for a backward glance. What I'm going to post is pictures I took well before the opening. I did not think it quite right to share them until the magnificence had ended, packed up and sent to wing around the world. Look carefully and you may pick out the virgins and saints and still life paintings waiting in corners, leaning on walls, sleeping on the floor. Need a reference?  Try www.hicks-jenkins.com. Enjoy!

5. The toy theatre on a cart.
In the background: "Green George"
and one of the Mari Lwyd series.

6. "Green George" at left.
"Flight of Swallows Over the Field of Gold" at rear.
Evidence of secret museum laboring at center.
Many of the larger paintings have these simple bespoke
frames, gray and rather unobtrusive.

7. Both those little paintings show Tretower,

where Clive hid himself in a cold chrysalis

between his life in the theatre and his life as a painter. 

The larger one is "Journey's End,"

showing Clive's father's mug in the foreground.

Some years ago I wrote  poem about that image

as a present for Clive, and it is in The Book of Ystwyth:

six poets on the art of Clive Hicks-Jenkins,

one of the two books links to the retrospective.
Clive points out that this one is really sideways...
I knew that, but it's how they looked.
As I can't bear to turn it around, just turn
yourself around so the cup points THIS SIDE UP.

8. The Gregynog Gallery.
Peter Wakelin, Clive, and somebody I can't quite see.
Peter was curator, a man who takes infinite pains.

9. Sketchbook with some of the objects in the paintings,
including the "Journey's End" mug.

10. Clive. In the background is a large painting with Ynys y Pandy
showing at upper right. I think it is "Black Horsemen,"
the horse-and-rider figures being African statues.
On each side were other pieces with Ynys y Pandy in the background.
I thought the one at right was "Forestier's Little Cavalryman,"
but now that I peer more closely, I think not...
Should have labeled these in May instead of never!
Update: Clive says it is indeed "Forestier's Little Cavalryman."

11. Clive solo at The Gregynog Gallery.

12. The annunciations. A maquette trapped in a frame at left.
(Let me out to play, Clive!)