Adrian’s Caricatures

Dynevor School Masters, as remembered graphically by Adrian Davies

Adrian writes:

From childhood I have been a mimic!  The death of my Father when I was just three years old seemed to heighten my awareness to the light and dark values we encounter throughout our lives. Generally, my engagement with circumstances provokes an arousal necessitating immediate utterance.

In May 2005 in conversation with Noel Blows regarding his plan to re-unite the class of ’55, I began visualising faces of those who had had the misfortune of attempting to “educate” me !   Some weeks later in further discussion I mentioned that I’d begun drawing caricatures of some of the academic staff.  Noel’s response was most encouraging – for the next four months I did nothing but attend to those individuals – “Iorrie”, “Bingo” Price, “Dick” EVANSSHH (LOOK!!),”BOB” Howells et al.

Though an infrequent occurrence, the creating of caricatures, particularly “heads” and “faces” has been a trait in my life-long development. Usually the stimuli for this pursuit has arisen from responses to predicaments of various kinds. In 1978 I spent two weeks in Hereford County Hospital but had prepared beforehand to have a “working” stay. Other patients in the ward thought I was doing administrative things connected with my job – they were however shocked (and highly amused) to discover my “portfolio” to be nothing more than drawings of the nurses, doctors, and other staff at the hospital as well as the patients themselves!! There have been occasions when travelling by train, I have reverted to drawing, not to what is about me, but to things I may have observed (always discreetly) days, months, years even decades before.  The Dynevor Staff works are in the main results from memory though a staff photograph which Noel provided was most helpful. I consider the drawings to be mild works which “nudge” at the comical rather than the cynical. Some are good drawings, inventive and humorous, some not, some are reasonable caricatures but not all, they were however a deliberate attempt to recapture a moment in time – our time ! In retrospect, a very meaningful and memorable moment in time! Eleven years have elapsed since those works were produced, and this is the first time to be exhibited.

Apart from the period 1966 – 1969 I have actively pursued my practice as a painter, while employed as a full time educationist. It had been my intention to “practice” what I “preach” and utilising this “philosophy”, rightly expected my students to match my aims and objectives, and most certainly to match my “industry”! I like to think and hope that my mentors at Dynevor may have been pleased with some of the demanding expectations I put forward for my students’ undertaking !     

NIHIL SINE LABORE !

NOTE: This collection of caricature drawings is reproduced on The Old Dy’vorians Association official website with the permission of Adrian Davies, who is the originator of these works. They may not be exhibited, reproduced, copied, or transmitted without the written permission of Adrian Davies, except for non-public and non-commercial purposes by Members of The Old Dy’vorians Association. 11/01/2017.

These drawings were photographed by Rob Mitchell.