note that a preponderance of images date from Craxton's late
period (1990 – 2009), and this may be because in those years
he often found it hard to complete the ambitious figure and
landscape compositions he embarked upon. Cat pictures were
mostly small-scale and fun to do, so he concentrated on them
when he felt blocked on the major works. As a consequence,
they have a freshness that frequently eluded him in the larger
paintings. Perhaps too his imagination had been caught by my
suggestion for this book and he proceeded to make a series
of cat paintings that could be considered as candidates for
inclusion. Cer tainly, cats were with him to the end: they appear
in his last sketchbook, worked on in hospital.
Writing about John and his affectionate understanding of cats
has reconnected me to all sor ts of memories of the man and
the ar tist, and has helped me to understand his work better.
For those who did not previously know his ar t, I hope this will
prove a happy introduction; for established admirers, I trust you
will find much to relish. John was the best of company and I
hope that readers will enjoy this excursion into his world.
Andrew Lambir th
B O O K L A U N C H
Craxton's Cats by Andrew Lambir th.
(Published by Thames & Hudson)
Signed copies during the exhibition
for the special price of £12.99
