It's always a pleasure meeting up with Jojo - the dashing theatre impresario; journalist and author (just some of his accomplishments) always inspire me. His new publication, remembering Robert: R. O. Lenkiewicz as told by his sitters, published by Plymouth University Press, [ISBN 9781841022628] is no less a feat. As I thumb through the proof, it oozes dedication and respect. Dedication with regard to his industry to locate, photograph and transcribe the views of one hundred and ten sitters is no mean achievement. His respect for a local character, considered a charlatan by some and genius by others. This could have been the achilles heel of the publication. What is not disputed, Lenkiewicz was truly enigmatic.
There has been a plethora of Lenkiewicz tomes written since the artist's untimely death in 2002. Those of us who knew the artist may have already formed our opinions of the man and might even think we knew him. This is the Lenkiewicz phenomenon or rather his legacy. We have been exposed to his numerous media antics - a hoaxed death, the embalming of my dear friend Edward Mackenzie (who Lenkiewicz renamed Diogenes); his attempts to court controversy through various projects and bohemian lifestyle; his over-sized self 'absorption' which I now recognize as the insatiable public expectation to be either a hero or anti-hero.
This new volume of Lenkiewicz is refreshing. It is not a scholarly biography which explores the philosophical 'darkness or obsessiveness' of the artist's mind. It is an intimate paperback, a rare glimpse for the reader to acquaint themselves with the sitters' story and their relationship with Lenkiewicz and why the painting was created.
The book's success is Jojo's attention to detail and an obsession he shared with Lenkiewicz. It's not surprising Jojo approached this project with the same methodology as Lenkiewicz. His forward replicates Lenkiewiz's retrospective at Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery in 1997. The guest of honour was not an academic or a celebrity but a local vagrant who Lenkiewicz believed would provide shock value. The format of the volume is not chronological or thematic, it has been compiled to surprise and enable the reader to travel on their own 'journey of discovery'.
For me, the publication is a missed opportunity and its weakness, not to expand the readers' experience. Jojo has not probed or analyzed the sitters' replies. However, the four strengths which are obvious within Jojo's book are: the historical and social importance of where the painting is displayed, the rare opportunity to see the painting in the home of the sitter and the memento-mori not only for the sitters but also for the reader. Four of the sitters have died since the death of Lenkiewicz.
In a nutshell, the publication provides a valuable record of the relationship between sitter and their portrait. For individuals who have not modeled for an artist, the sitters' reminiscences will come as a surprise. Predominantly anecdotal, Jojo has crafted a sensitive book where Lenkiewicz's spirit can continue to beat in the hearts of his sitters'. They recall their first hand experiences in a compelling, personal way. Whether the book sheds further light on Lenkiewicz's 'sole' (a reference to the cover), is questionable.
David Folley is a painter who is currently working on a series of paintings depicting gardens of The National Trust.
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