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Article: Arts: Centrepiece: Scandal and seclusion; Alun Prichard reviews the wildly different lives of two Welsh painters, a scandalous brother and reclusive sister who both hit the artistic heights.(Features)
- Article from:
- Daily Post (Liverpool, England)
- Article date:
- September 10, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 MGN Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Alun Prichard
AUGUSTUS John leapt into the sea off the Welsh coast as a timid young man but emerged from the waves a damaged genius. According to legend the aspiring artist smashed his head on a rock under the sea, a blow which not only badly cut his head but shook the shackles from his creativity and freed his wild side.
He became fascinated by all things bohemian, grew a beard, began to drink heavily and painted masterpieces with a revolutionary fervour. ``The universe seemed to explode, '' he said of the experience.
Artist Wyndham Lewis described him as ``a great man of action into whose hands the fairies had placed a paintbrush ...