Francis Bacon Lovers Brawl
I am currently transcribing years and years of the personal diaries of Chopping and Wirth-Miller. Some clues hint at bigger stories, as in this case. When I discussed the story with Zandra (who of course knew Dicky, Denis and Francis) as we travelled on the train to Firstsite, she neatly top &-tailed the story for […]
Online Talk – Richard Chopping: The Original Bond Artist
Click on the image to watch the YouTube video. Jon Lys Turner introduces the forthcoming exhibition at The Salisbury Museum, and the life and work of Richard Chopping.- more information.
Dame Zandra Rhodes and Jon Lys Turner in conversation – 27th October 2022
MORE INFORMATION In this conversation, Rhodes and Turner will be discussing and celebrating the never-to-be-repeated lives of Dicky Chopping and Denis Wirth-Miller, their literary and artistic output and their complex relationship with Francis Bacon – more information.
‘DENIS WIRTH-MILLER: Landscapes and Beasts’ at Firstsite until 22nd January 2023. Free entry.
https://jonlysturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FirstsitePromo.m4v Artists Denis Wirth-Miller and Francis Bacon were friends for more than fifty years. However, while Francis Bacon is recognised today as one of Britain’s foremost painters, Denis Wirth-Miller is relatively unheard of. This important exhibition, the largest retrospective of Denis’s work to date, seeks to rectify this fact, showcasing the breadth of his paintings, […]
The case of the disputed Lucian Freud
“Let’s face it. . . . They must hate me, because I did what they didn’t want. I won.” Find out more on the published article on The New Yorker Website
Divine’s Orange Octopus Disco Dress on show at Queer Britain
It is with great pleasure that I am lending Divine’s bright orange ‘Octopus’ disco dress to Queer Britain, the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum which is housed in Granary Square, King’s Cross, London, occupying part of a beautiful historic building owned by the charity, Art Fund. Queer Britain celebrates people who have impacted every part […]
Through the summer of 2021…
On the eve of the release of the 25th Bond movie No Time to Die, The Salisbury Museum celebrated the life and work of writer, illustrator and teacher Richard Chopping (1917 – 2008), best-known for illustrating the original book covers for James Bond. Richard Chopping was a master of the trompe-l’œil technique, producing highly realistic three-dimensional […]
In the media
“Delicious anecdotes abound in this highly entertaining celebration of two minor artists who knew everyone. An absolute goldmine for Bacon biographers … it is full of memorable vignettes and many moving letters from Chopping to Wirth-Miller and vice versa … haunting biography.” Lynn Barber, Sunday Times “A guide to 20th century British painting and promiscuity….. […]