Cuillin Bantock
"I work non-figuratively because I believe that sensation and allusion are stronger realities than straightforward depiction"
Cuillin Bantock aged 69 studied at Camberwell school of Art in London and is by all accounts an eccentric zoologist and artist. He worked as a professional environmentalist for two decades and returned to painting full time in 1989.
Meeting Cuillin
Entering the gallery, The Albany in Deptford South East London, gave me an instant impression that he enjoys working with colour; talking to him was even more astonishing. Being nearly two hours late for our meeting my immediate impression was of his breath which smelt of lager and stale cigarettes after an afternoon session at the local pub. Cuillin was laid back and constantly talking and shifting nervously around the gallery pointing at various pictures like the 'Mad Hatter' at his own tea party.
Influences and Motivation
He was interested in painting at the age 14, ever since the Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at the Birmingham city art gallery in 1947. There were a few paintings that he favoured most, 'Lark' a small painting of a bird flying and 'The Chair'. When I asked him why they inspired him he simply shrugged and said "Oh I don't know." The interview was going down hill rapidly so I decided to move on swiftly.
He explained that he spent most of his time in art classes at school "I hated sport so much I always used to leave and join the art classes" he says "What motivates me to paint is to get away from boredom its like I go on an odyssey." Painting non-stop for 12 years he says "My weaknesses are that I don’t think I'm a natural colourist."
He paused then thought for a while pulling a square box from his jacket pocket, he lights another cigarette and takes a long drag he then blows the smoke out into the gallery disregarding the no smoking signs. He continues "…When I was young, I never really saw colour growing up in North Wales. I knew nothing of colour as it was raining everyday making everything seem grey and sad."
Methods
But I see a positive change as he takes another drag from his cigarette and smiles quietly to himself. "I have a lifelong familiarity with a particular coastal dune system in North Wales which is a recurrent influence, informing the work beyond recalling the particular. I attempt to make paintings which work in several ways simultaneously, as a formally satisfying arrangement of colours on a flat surface, as an evocation of place and as a personal statement of my own feelings. I work on paper and made outside, with pencil, conte crayon or pastel, records appearances. These studies are sometimes used as the starting points for studio-based linocuts. Whilst most of the figurative work is made in Wales, visits elsewhere are recorded in drawings made in Manhattan, Saskatchewan, the Sinai Desert, Lesbos and at other sites in the U.K" he says confidently.
He then tells me that his favourite pieces are 'Rained Off' as in when you're at a beautiful beach playing a game, suddenly games off abandoned as the heavens open up in a deluge and everyone dashes with a soggy picnic hamper, cricket bat and stumps to find shelter.
Pictures at an Exhibition
He was inspired by the author Clever Greenberg to visually understand colours and textures and I think Cuillin is more of a traditional painter in this respect.
The majority of his work reflects him as a person very ambitious with colour and space. You notice that the colours he selects are very warm and inviting. The painting technique gives a light, jolly impression. Throughout the exhibition it felt hard to concentrate; with a very soft, calm and cosy atmosphere it's almost as if you can just doze off to sleep but the work is so engaging it's hard to know where to look next. There were all these bands of colour on the walls, colours that you couldn't put a name to exactly.
Cuillin paints in an unusual, light way; in fact, so light that you could be fooled into thinking that it's child's play, but make no mistake there is a master at work.
Cuillin Bantok is a charming character, not at all how I imagined him, but what I like about him is that he brings all his wisdom and life to a wonderful exhibition and I have to say it was a pleasure to have met him.
"If you ever get the opportunity to see his work - go, you won't be disappointed."
Cuillin Bantock was interviewed by Sophie Nimb
