Page 30 - Studio International - November 1966

Alfred Wallis : the poetry of 'what used to Be'

Edwin Mullins

Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) is the only British 'primitive' was delayed for almost a year, through a nagging
painter to have possessed a touch of genius. But for a suspicion that the enthusiasm for Wallis expressed by
handful of admirers his achievements could easily have such people as Barbara Hepworth, Adrian Stokes, and
died with him in the workhouse. Even in the early Ben Nicholson (who discovered him and first systemati-
1960's barely a few dozen people, most of them artists cally collected his work) might have been inflated by
and writers, were aware of what this semi-literate Cornish their strong personal interest in Wallis during his life-
fisherman and rag-and-bone merchant had managed time. After all, the status of every untutored 'Sunday'
to create in the seventeen years that followed a surprising painter in recent years has climbed beyond all reason,
decision to take up painting at the age of 70. Within and the pleasure which so many of us experience from
the last five years, thanks largely to the efforts of those discovering a new Rousseau in our back-garden is clearly
admirers and of a few perceptive dealers, there have been reflected in a proliferation of exhibitions by naïve or
two exhibitions of his work in London, at the PICCADILLY fantasy painters. What is more, as I have already
GALLERIES in 1962 and at the WADDINGTON GALLERIES suggested, most of the paintings by Wallis which began
in 1965. Lately his paintings—admittedly very poor to trickle on to the market during the early 60's were
examples for the most part—have been turning up reg- hardly of such staggering brilliance as to make a writer
ularly in the sale-rooms; and the Arts Council has bend his mind to documenting them. I remained sceptical.
been persuaded to mount a full-scale exhibition in the The moment when I unreservedly joined the admirers of
TATE GALLERY next summer. Wallis came early last year during a visit to Cambridge to
My own decision to write a book about this man's work see the very large collection of the artist's work which

Above The Marine Rag-and-Bone Stores on the St Ives
harbour-front which Wallis kept until the decline of the fishing
industry forced him to close it in 1912. The semi-literate writing
is in his own hand, and the signature is familiar from his paintings.
(Photograph: Collection Andrew Lanyon.)
Above left Houses in St Ives: the use of thickly clotted white
paint, and the surrounding cardboard for the most part left bare,
are typical. (Collection: Miss W. Barns-Graham.)

Left St Ives harbour about the turn of the century, as Wallis knew
it in the days when he kept his Marine Stores on the harbour-
front. The little fishing-boats with deep-russet sails were among
his favourite themes. (Photograph: Collection St Ives Library.)

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