Wieneke Archive Book 4d : Artists - Australian & Other Presscuttings

Page 24-The Sun, Friday, Feb. 17, 1967 From REG MACDONALD in London 7]1 '7 Q2.) _1 THE wan winter sunlight angled across the London skyline, found a gap in the grey Fleet St. rooftops and formed a pale patch, a yard square, in front of my desk. Melbourne - born Jamie Boyd, 18, up - and - coming painter, angled his chair into the patch. He did it to show off the inter- esting green fleck in his three-piece tweed suit. "I'm pi caul of this suit," he said. indicat- ing the bespoke -tailored lapels. "It's the only one I own, My first one-man show in Australia last Year paid for it. "But," be said, "I might have to have an- other suit soon. My Jamie ai'd his suit A place in the sunlight THAT'S PAINTER JALIIE BOYD second one-man show was opened at the Aus- tralian galleries in Mel- bourne this week. You'll notice my fingers are crossed." [The showing opened on Wednesday and the critics said Jamie show- ed promise.] Last year In Adelaide Kym Bonython exhibit- ed 22 of young Jamie's paintings. Keen buyers bought 11 of them for $2000. If Melbourne buyers show similar enthusiasm, this Beatle - mopped youngster will certainly get his second suit. But slim, shy Jamie, one of the Boyd art dynasty - his father is Australian painter Arthur Boyd - wants more than a suit from his Melbourne show. He wants enough to be able to chase the sun- he uses painter's par- lance and calls it "the light" - In France and Spain this summer. Jamie confessed that he had "blown" the pro- ceeds of his Adelaide show "chasing the light." EXPERIENCE "That's after I bought this suit," he explained. "I went to New York last summer, I pottered around the galleries, did a bit of painting, soak- ed up the sun. It was great experience." Jamie Boyd lived In Beaumaris until he was 11. He came to London with his father and mother and two sisters, Polly, now 20 and an art student, and Lucy, now 8 and also intorested in art, seven years ago. The Boyd family live in a four -storey -Vic- torian terrace house in Highgate. the inner Lon- don suburb that borders beautiful Hampstead Heath. Many of Britain's most successful artists live in the area. Said Jamie: "I paint and sleep in the attic. Dad's studio is on the ground floor. Our rooms are the untidiest. in the house." Jamie began "messing around with oils" when he was 13. "I guess I couldn't be alothing else but a painter," he said. "But I often wonder ff I'll be as good as my father. In fact, I often wonder if people only buy my paintings because of my father. "Sometimes I'm pretty uncertain about the future. I could go to the university, I suppose. I'd like to stedy music and philosophy. HIS CRITICS "I'm very keen on classical music. I've been studying the piano for about live years. I split up the week, half music, half painting." Is his father a harsh critic? "No, not at all, In fact he's rather kind. My mother isri better critic. She's very constructive. "My father is extreme- ly helpful, though. He has influenced me to paint in my awn style, do what I want, not what other people want. He has convinced me that there is more to painting than knocking up canvases that will sell. "He also lends me his station wagon. This en- ables me to get out into the country to paint." lie hasn't got a regu- lar girl friend, but he admits a tern -age pre- dilection to "looking and talking" to pretty girls, especially those In mini- skirts. He describes himself as "not being very re- ligious." He doesn't want a lot of money. "A Pas' hundred pounds svill do," he said. "Just enough to give me my freedom. The free- dom to paint as I want to paint. 'And, of course, I'd like to go back to Aus- tralia and paint in that Would he like to have one of his paintings hanging in the Tate? "Indeed I would. Any painter would. But I must be practical."