Bacon at Tate Britain

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Bacon's longtime companion died in Pattaya over five years ago, your fagulous trip to the museum somehow becomes a topic related to Thailand?

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Well, that sounds just like something you would do, 555.

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition

an exhibition of pork products?

[Sen Yai]

Funny, I know I posted this link www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bacon-a-mystery-in-the-east-746033.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bacon-a-mystery-in-the-east-746033.html) in this thread ealier today, to demonstrate a connection between Francis Bacon and Thailand.

Why has it been deleted without explanation?

Funny, I know I posted this link www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bacon-a-mystery-in-the-east-746033.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bacon-a-mystery-in-the-east-746033.html) in this thread ealier today, to demonstrate a connection between Francis Bacon and Thailand.

Why has it been deleted without explanation?

Yes. I know you did Sen Yai. Over 70% of the thread seems to have been nicked by the movers.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

I shared many a bar-stool with Francis Bacon on long afternoons with his lover at the Colony Club in Soho which I am sad to hear has just been declared bankrupt.

What a funny old thing he was , never really caring for money even whilst his paintings were selling for millions while he was alive,

Incidently-he met that boyfriend when the young man had broken into Bacon's little house and was ransacking it...Francis came home and suggested he go to bed with him and he pay him instead of pursuing a career as a burglar which was a much better deal. Was it ever..the boy became a man and was left about 35 million pounds upon Bacon's death, bought every single member of his East End family a house and the most magnificent penthouse in Pattaya where he sadly died about 3 years ago.

important trivia : it's said that many of Bacons works were not declared in his estate and dozens went missing and it was assumed hidden by the boyfriend. The boyfriend had a Thai boyfriend who he apparently gave 6 Bacon paintings for safekeeping but forgot about them. That lad has no idea of their value..somewhere in the north of Thailand in a little village there is a traditional Thai hut with a family living as they have for years, and upon their walls are 6 bizarre paintings executed by Francis Bacon and worth probably about 30 milllion pounds !!! Start your search now.

..somewhere in the north of Thailand in a little village there is a traditional Thai hut with a family living as they have for years, and upon their walls are 6 bizarre paintings executed by Francis Bacon and worth probably about 30 milllion pounds !!! Start your search now.I'm assembling the mem'sahibs forthwith

[Khor tose]

Lunchtime you have had, and probably still enjoy, a fantastic life. I love art, however Francis is not that high on my list, but I do know his story. May I be so bold as to offer one slight correction? The boy who broke into his house is the subject of some of his paintings. His name was George Dyer. He died of an overdose of drugs sometime in the 70s. It was after dyer's death that he met Edward.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

I defer to you Khor tose as you may be telling it as it is.

Unfortunately most of my time in London ( 30 years ) was spent in afternoon drinking bars after that mad pub closing that happended from 2pm onwards , which, while completely uncivilised, meant that one could wander from one small private club in the West End to another..they were of course complete scams and as long as one pretended to be a member , one could drink all afternoon.

Thus you could prop up the bar at the Colony with Francis Bacon or the famous Jeffrey Bernard (who made me look sober) and who became the subject of the most wonderful play where he was portrayed by Dennis Waterman (of "Minder' fame) who I had a fist fight in Brisbane once ... of all places, when we attended a party to celebrate the arrival of the copies of the Crown Jewels ... whereupon a Prince Charles look-a-like alighted from a British Airways aeroplane. minus his large ears (which he had forgotten ). I made some derogatory remark ( afterall I am Irish) and Denis immediately thumped me-being an East Ender who are the staunchest of Royal supporters.

We rolled around on the ground-were seperated and then immediately rushed to the bar for more drinks and became firm friends.

But I digress..I think your complaint was that I mixed up said boyfriends and you are probably more correct than I.

I must confess..the Colony was always my first port of a call to chat with the fabulously talented..and then onwards to Jonathons or the Toucan where one would always meet a young wide-eyed lad who had just arrived in town and was so naive they could be dazzled by an old soak like mois.

And I always scored although one time the most handsome boy from Sheffield stole my Gucci pumps and left in their place a pair of very shoddy boots. When I related this tale to those at the Colony it became a tale of great mirth, much to my chagrin.

But-my tale of the missing Bacons is true and I could name a very prominent Pattayan citizen who launched a quest to find them but then freaked out as he perceived there could enormous legal ramifications regarding provinence. So the hidden treasure is still there to be found.

More importantly..why the fuck has Homintern been voted a person of note when he is completely disreputable and owes me so many lunches. ??

Why is life so unfair ?

I shared many a bar-stool with Francis Bacon on long afternoons with his lover at the Colony Club in Soho which I am sad to hear has just been declared bankrupt.



That club is mentioned in the exhibition audio materials. I remember the Rockingham, A&B and Festival were after hours gay very private in the early '70s. Would they have been similar?



What a funny old thing he was , never really caring for money even whilst his paintings were selling for millions while he was alive,

Incidently-he met that boyfriend when the young man had broken into Bacon's little house and was ransacking it...Francis came home and suggested he go to bed with him and he pay him instead of pursuing a career as a burglar which was a much better deal. Was it ever..the boy became a man and was left about 35 million pounds upon Bacon's death, bought every single member of his East End family a house and the most magnificent penthouse in Pattaya where he sadly died about 3 years ago.

Your detail seems slightly at odds with the Tate's version. According to them, it was Dyer who was the housebreaker, and many of the images in the exhibition depict him. According to the Independent it was Edwards who died in Pattaya which I'd seen in a BBC documentary, but I don't think any of the images in the exhibition are of him - but it's not easy to be certain.



important trivia : it's said that many of Bacons works were not declared in his estate and dozens went missing and it was assumed hidden by the boyfriend. The boyfriend had a Thai boyfriend who he apparently gave 6 Bacon paintings for safekeeping but forgot about them. That lad has no idea of their value..somewhere in the north of Thailand in a little village there is a traditional Thai hut with a family living as they have for years, and upon their walls are 6 bizarre paintings executed by Francis Bacon and worth probably about 30 milllion pounds !!! Start your search now.

This seems all too plausible.

One thing the Tate interpreters do mention is that Bacon was a great destructor not only of his work-in-progress and reference material, which he was in denial of the existence of, pretending to an immediacy that posthumous inspection of his studio belied, but also of finished works. Since many of his pieces are title "study of.." it's debatable whether he reagarded any of his work as finished. It is more than likely that boyfriends "protected" work that might otherwise have been destroyed.

I must say that to me Dyer, especially in the photographs bears quite a resemblance to one of the Krays, but maybe it's just the brylcremed quiff.

[Khor tose]

Lunchtime, as a member of the Commonwealth, you have missed out on some things us Yank produce. We had a wit, who would make Homi look sad. This wit agreed with you that life was unfair. I just finished reading one of his books, and I can't help myself. I give you the recently late George Carlin, an American genius of comedy.

тАЬThe most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death! What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating...


...and you finish off as an orgasm.тАЭ

Lunchtime you have had, and probably still enjoy, a fantastic life. I love art, however Francis is not that high on my list, but I do know his story. May I be so bold as to offer one slight correction? The boy who broke into his house is the subject of some of his paintings. His name was George Dyer. He died of an overdose of drugs sometime in the 70s. It was after dyer's death that he met Edward.

Oops. I shouldn't start responding till I've read the whole thread, should I.

I must say that I was much more dismissive of Bacon before this exhibition. But the energy and "multifacettedness" of the images is quite striking.

More importantly..why the fuck has Homintern been voted a person of note when he is completely disreputable and owes me so many lunches. ?? Why is life so unfair ?I'm sure you know that famous saying "Life wasn't meant to be sleazy"

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

More importantly..why the fuck has Homintern been voted a person of note when he is completely disreputable and owes me so many lunches. ?? Why is life so unfair ?I'm sure you know that famous saying "Life wasn't meant to be sleazy"

I've never actually heard that quote but if it was said-I've spent a lifetime ignoring it.

Recently. about a year ago, a London dustman put up for sale at Southebys, a large notebook filled with Bacon scribblings and drawings .shopping notes and such that he had found in Bacon's garbage can. He asked Bacon if he could keep it and Francis said "of course"

I think it sold for about 185,000 pounds.

[thaiguest]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

I was going to point out that as well but thought it might spoil the poor dear's day. Afterall-who else can they claim-they dreary old Turner and those boring dull scenes of the Thames , or that silly Tracey Emin (mind you she's Turkish) or the perhaps Damien Hirst and those silly Saatchi brothers who splash out fortunes for some old skull probably dug up in the local cemetery and splattered with sequins.

You must feel sorry for the Brits-all great literature has been gifted to them from the Irish and what do we get in return ?. Agatha Christie and Jackie Collins !

You must feel sorry for the Brits-all great literature has been gifted to them from the Irish and what do we get in return ?. Agatha Christie and Jackie Collins !I have no time for that "great" Irish novelist Charles Dickens, myself

[Marsilius]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

Normally, I hate to cite wikipaedia but they start his entry with

"Francis Bacon (28 October 1909 тАУ 28 April 1992) was an Irish-born British figurative painter. He was a collateral descendant of the Elizabethan philosopher Francis Bacon. "

The leaflet given by the entrance to the exhibition, by a stunningly cute East Asian, states he was born in Dublin of English parents.

1909 was before 1921.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

I think the people of the Irish Free State make take issue with that. Either way I wouldn't take a walk through the streets of Londonderry or Armagh and announce the same-unless you take some large bodyguards.

I'm surprised Homintern has no time for the great writer Charles Dickens who is descended from the famous Irish clan of the O'Dickens and from where his undoubted wonderful writing talent comes from. Particularly as Charlie had a penchant for writing about young boys going through a hard time in life and often being on the receiving end of a good lashing..right up Homi's street.

Particularly as Charlie had a penchant for writing about young boys going through a hard time in life and often being on the receiving end of a good lashing..right up Homi's street.Weren't they organised by an Irish paedophile = O'Fagin?

[thaiguest]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

The Irish were dubbed British from the top down in the same way as the people of India for a time ceased to be Indians and were instead dubbed 'subjects of the British Empire' and in the same way as Russia recently claimed large tracts of the planet Mars. But the Irish or the Indians or even the Martians were never consulted on this.
We have many examples of 'British' Irish eg. The Duke of Wellington, Edmund Burke et al but also at least one example of 'Welsh' Irish ibso est St. Patrick.
Seriously though, if you wish to see the deconstructed and reassembled studio of Francis Bacon you have to come to his native city-Dublin. What means this 'unpatriotic' bequest on the part of the artist?

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

The Irish were dubbed British from the top down in the same way as the people of India for a time ceased to be Indians and were instead dubbed 'subjects of the British Empire' and in the same way as Russia recently claimed large tracts of the planet Mars. But the Irish or the Indians or even the Martians were never consulted on this.
We have many examples of 'British' Irish eg. The Duke of Wellington, Edmund Burke et al but also at least one example of 'Welsh' Irish ibso est St. Patrick.
Seriously though, if you wish to see the deconstructed and reassembled studio of Francis Bacon you have to come to his native city-Dublin. What means this 'unpatriotic' bequest on the part of the artist?

and let's not forget that other great Irish artist who has enriched the fabric of British cultural life-Boy George !

[Marsilius]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

The Irish were dubbed British from the top down in the same way as the people of India for a time ceased to be Indians and were instead dubbed 'subjects of the British Empire' and in the same way as Russia recently claimed large tracts of the planet Mars. But the Irish or the Indians or even the Martians were never consulted on this.

You are confusing geography with history/politics.

"The British Isles" is a universally accepted geographical designation (with no political/historical connotations) for the two large land masses - "Great Britain" (comprising England, Wales and Scotland) and "Ireland" (comprising the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland) - found in the ocean off the north west coast of the European mainland.

"Great Britain" is merely a geographical term for the larger of those two islands. The designation "Great" is geographical (not, as erroneously often thought, a political assertion of grandiosity), and originated a thousand years ago or more to distinguish the larger home of the Ancient Britons (the island of Great Britain) from the tribe's smaller home (Britanny in France - ever noticed the similarity of the name? It was the original "Little Britain", in fact!) For more on this, see Professor Denys Hay "The Emergence of an Idea: Europe" (Edinburgh University Publications) - Appendix: The use of the term "Great Britain" in the Middle Ages.

The political entity of the UK - "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" thus makes perfect geographical sense too.

[thaiguest]

Just got back from the Bacon exhibition at Tate Britain. Gobsmacked. Described by some as the most important British artist since Turner.

Not possible because he was Irish.

Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Ipso facto, Irish people are "British" - as are the English, the Welsh and the Scots, begorrah!

The Irish were dubbed British from the top down in the same way as the people of India for a time ceased to be Indians and were instead dubbed 'subjects of the British Empire' and in the same way as Russia recently claimed large tracts of the planet Mars. But the Irish or the Indians or even the Martians were never consulted on this.

You are confusing geography with history/politics.

"The British Isles" is a universally accepted geographical designation (with no political/historical connotations) for the two large land masses - "Great Britain" (comprising England, Wales and Scotland) and "Ireland" (comprising the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland) - found in the ocean off the north west coast of the European mainland.

"Great Britain" is merely a geographical term for the larger of those two islands. The designation "Great" is geographical (not, as erroneously often thought, a political assertion of grandiosity), and originated a thousand years ago or more to distinguish the larger home of the Ancient Britons (the island of Great Britain) from the tribe's smaller home (Britanny in France - ever noticed the similarity of the name? It was the original "Little Britain", in fact!) For more on this, see Professor Denys Hay "The Emergence of an Idea: Europe" (Edinburgh University Publications) - Appendix: The use of the term "Great Britain" in the Middle Ages.

The political entity of the UK - "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" thus makes perfect geographical sense too.

I don't feel confused at all.
I know of 2 famous Bacons. One of them was Irish. Get over it.

[Marsilius]

You may not subjectively feel confused - but sadly, judged objectively, you are.

No-one denies that the Irish are a race. So presumably "your" Bacon was Irish. No problem.

However, whether he was living in the island of Ireland or the island that comprises England, Wales and Scotland, he was still living in the collective grouping of the "British Isles" and may hence also be correctly described as "British".

In exactly the same way, we could, in fact, take the argument a stage further and describe him as a "European".

None of the descriptions "Irish", "British" or "European" is incorrect. It all just depends on the perspective that one adopts.

Sorry Thaiquest. You are simply wrong. Francis Bacon, the famous painter was descended from a brother or sister of the other famous indisputably English essayist, Francis Bacon. Being born of English parents in Dublin before the creation of the Irish Republic, in no sense makes him Irish. The only famous Irish bacon that I know of, sizzles when cooked.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

look, if you try to claim Oscar Wilde as one of yours there will serious trouble.

look, if you try to claim Oscar Wilde as one of yours there will serious trouble.

Who he? And what has he painted lately? OK, you can have your Lennon and McCartney. It was only nursery rhymes anyway. Nothing of the stature of Burns. The English will be along shortly to shake their spears at you.

[Khor tose]

I've been waiting for someone to mention Edward De Vere (The Earl Of Oxford). Greatest writer ever in the English language.

[Marsilius]

And evidently the greatest breaker of wind, too... John Aubrey, the diarist, tells a story about the Earl of Oxford. When the Earl made a low obeisance to the Queen, he happened to let go a fart, at which he was so ashamed that he left the country for 7 years. At his return the Queen welcomed him and said, "My lord, I had forgot the fart"!

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

look, if you try to claim Oscar Wilde as one of yours there will serious trouble.

Who he? And what has he painted lately? OK, you can have your Lennon and McCartney. It was only nursery rhymes anyway. Nothing of the stature of Burns. The English will be along shortly to shake their spears at you.

Oscars words were like beautiful paintings in written form you English phillistine.

shake your spears as much as you want but be warned...I've got a pretty good aim with a potato.

...I've got a pretty good aim with a potato.I can vouch for that. I don't think that particular restaurant's going to let us back, Doris

[quote="Lunchtime O'Booze":2t3ngiwl]look, if you try to claim Oscar Wilde as one of yours there will serious trouble.

Who he? And what has he painted lately? OK, you can have your Lennon and McCartney. It was only nursery rhymes anyway. Nothing of the stature of Burns. The English will be along shortly to shake their spears at you.

Oscars words were like beautiful paintings in written form you English phillistine.

shake your spears as much as you want but be warned...I've got a pretty good aim with a potato.[/quote:2t3ngiwl]

What makes you think I self identify as English, O'Booze? It's all jingoistic nonsense. Note the references to the great documenter of the Lallans oral tradition (they'd ca' im a playjerist nooadeys.)

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

"What makes you think I self identify as English, O'Booze? It's all jingoistic nonsense. Note the references to the great documenter of the Lallans oral tradition (they'd ca' im a playjerist nooadeys.)"

I think it must be that BOAC avatar..I remember you now from your number..you were a hostess on BOAC and I recall on a trip from NY to London this was how you introduced us to the safety procedures..basically saying when we crash..we go like this..you must be ancient now you old British mad cow.

no wonder I took up the drink.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee135/lunchtimeobooze/1420548739_080c1bf800-1.jpg