‘Augustus John: A Personal Reminiscence’

Mon, 21 Nov 11 14:05:00

The award-winning television director Tristan de Vere Cole will be the keynote speaker at a special evening organised by Chapters, the National Library of Wales’ patron scheme. Tristan’s talk, entitled ‘‘Augustus John: A Personal Reminiscence’, will be held at the Drwm on Thursday, 24 November at 7.30pm.

Augustus John (1878-1961) was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and this Chapters www.llgc.org.uk/index.php; event has been arranged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.  

Considered one of the most talented artists of his generation, John was well known in the early 20th century for his drawings and etchings.  However, the bulk of his later work consisted of portraits, and he painted many distinguished contemporaries such as T E Lawrence, Thomas Hardy and W B Yeats.

Tristan was largely brought up in the John household at Fryern Court, Fordingbridge and sat for the artist many times.  He will present his own personal insight into the life and work of Augustus John in an illustrated talk that will include slides of John’s paintings, drawings, etchings, sculptures and photos, many of which are from Tristan’s own private collection. 

Tristan himself was born in Redruth, Cornwall, in 1935.  He joined the Royal Navy College Dartmouth in 1951, and, having produced and directed Willis Hall’s ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’ on a boxing ring in an aircraft carrier’s hangar whilst cruising off New Guinea, resigned his commission as a Lieutenant and became an Assistant Stage Manager.  Tristan is noted for his contribution as a director to many memorable television series from the 1960s to 1980s including Z-Cars, Doctor Who, Emmerdale Farm, Howard’s Way and Bergerac, and his Anglo-Norwegian film Dykket (‘The Dive’) was shown on Channel 4 to much acclaim.

The Tristan de Vere Cole (Augustus John) Manuscripts, which consist of letters and related papers of Augustus John and Dorelia McNeill, sent to, or collected by Tristan de Vere Cole, are housed at the National Library of Wales.

Admission by ticket £10.00 – free to Chapters www.llgc.org.uk/index.php; members. To order tickets for ‘Augustus John: A Personal Reminiscence’ please contact the Library Shop on 01970 632548 or go online: drwm.llgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/show_event.html;

For further information:

Chapters: www.llgc.org.uk/index.php;
Tickets for the Talk: drwm.llgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/show_event.html;

Rhian Haf Evans
NLW Fundraising Executive: Events & Donors: 01970 632 938 rhian.evans@llgc.org.uk