The Jackfield Pot

Early Life and Theatrical Beginnings

• Born: June 11, 1951, Newport, United Kingdom
• Attended Hartridge Comprehensive School in Newport before moving to the Italia Conti School in London.
• Studied theatre, worked as an actor in films and television, and took classes at the Rambert Ballet School.
• Early career involved performance and puppetry with Cardiff’s Caricature Theatre.
• Worked extensively as a choreographer, director, and stage designer for various companies including the Vienna Festival, Almeida Theatre, and Theatr Clwyd. Served as Associate Director at Cardiff New Theatre.

Transition to Visual Arts and Artistic Style

• Shifted focus to visual arts in the 1990s after a prolific career in theatre.
• Works primarily through painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, maquettes, animation, and artist’s books.
• Artistic style characterized by narrative paintings often exploring Welsh folklore, religious stories, and themes of solitude and place.
• Influenced by British mid-twentieth neo-romanticism; landscapes frequently serve as emotionally charged backdrops in his work.
• Critics have described his work as "reflective, expressive painting of the highest order."

Major Themes and Series

• The Mari Lwyd Series: Explores childhood fears inspired by Welsh folk traditions.
• The Temptations of Solitude: Examines contemporary traumas and injustices through the lens of the Desert Fathers of Egypt.
• Saints and Animals Series: Features stories of saints alongside animals, such as St. Kevin and the blackbird, Elijah and the raven, Hervé and the wolf, and St. Francis preaching to the birds.
• Biblical Paintings: Includes works like "The Annunciation" (Llandaff Cathedral) and a depiction of “The Woman Taken in Adultery.”
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Series: A significant body of work, including screenprints created in collaboration with Penfold Press, illustrating Simon Armitage’s translation.

Recognition and Collections

• Paintings are represented in all major public collections in Wales and other UK institutions.
• Artist's books found in libraries internationally.
• Retrospective exhibition held at the National Library of Wales in 2011 to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.
• Substantial monograph published by Lund Humphries in 2011, highlighting his career and contributions.
• Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University School of Art.
• Member of The Welsh Group and 56 Group Wales.
• Works held in numerous public and private collections including the National Museum of Wales, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, and Methodist Collection of Modern Christian Art.

Recent Developments and Collaborations

• Regularly discusses his methods through an "Artlog" series since 2010.
• Collaborated with composer Mark Bowden and poet Damian Walford Davies on *The Mare's Tale*, a staged performance and chamber consort work.
• Directed and designed *Hansel & Gretel: A Nightmare in Eight Scenes* with music by Matthew Kaner and a libretto by Simon Armitage, touring extensively.
• Continued collaboration with Penfold Press on artist’s books.