Rory McEwen (artist)
Roderick " Rory " McEwen ( born March 12, 1932 in Marchmont House, Greenlaw, Scottish Borders, † October 16, 1982 in South Kensington, London, England) was a Scottish painter and folk musicians.
- 3.1 Discography
- 3.2 Illustrations
- 3.3 paintings and drawings
Biography
Rory McEwen was the fourth of seven children - six brothers and a sister - by Sir John Helias Finnie McEwen and his wife Bridget Mary Lindley. His father was a landowner and Conservative politician, who was appointed a baronet. The mother was the daughter of the diplomat Sir Francis Oswald Lindley and granddaughter of the botanist and illustrator John Lindley.
Early years
Rory McEwen was first educated at home and then attended Eton College, where Wilfrid Blunt was one of his teachers; Blunt called McEwen as perhaps the most gifted artist who ever came under his fingers ( Perhaps the most gifted artist to pass through my hands). At 18, he began his two-year military service in the "Queen 's Own Cameron Highlanders ", which led him to Egypt. He then earned a degree at Trinity College, Cambridge.
From a young age Rory McEwen had begun to paint flowers and plants. 1955 were published in a botanical work of C. Oscar Moreton eight of his watercolors. In addition, McEwen was the interest of traditional music. By his oldest brother Jamie Rory had blues and jazz to know and appreciate.
America
1956 Rory McEwen traveled with his younger brother Alexander to New York to cross the United States. The money for the trip they wanted to earn more by musical performances.
At first they lived in Alice Astor (1902-1956) and her daughter Romana. Alice was the daughter of John Jacob Astor IV, founder of the Astoria hotel ( the Waldorf- Astoria later), who had come in the sinking of the Titanic died. Romana's father was the second husband of Alice Astor, Raimund von Hofmannsthal (1906-1974), son of Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
The two brothers looked for and found that of the blues musician Leadbelly widow. They also met blues and folk veterans like Ramblin 'Jack Elliott and Reverend Gary Davis. The journey of the brothers went over Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans, El Paso, Santa Fe and San Francisco to Los Angeles. They recorded two albums, Great Scottish Ballads (1956) and Scottish Songs and Ballads (1957). They had several television appearances, including on the Ed Sullivan Show. In 1958, the brothers took on the album Folk Song Jubilee together with the Scottish singer and actress Isla Cameron.
Show business
Back in London, Rory McEwen worked for the magazine " Spectator" and for the BBC. His appearances on the " Tonight" show, where he performed his own songs, among other things, made him popular. In 1958 he married his New York hostess Romana von Hofmannsthal, with whom he had four children in succession, three daughters and a son.
The apartment of McEwen in London, was a meeting place for artists and art lovers. Among the guests included Bob Dylan, as well as the Beatles; George Harrison should have gotten into the apartment sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar.
From 1959 to 1963 Rory McEwen had his own television show " Hullabaloo " in which he presented folk and blues. The show is regarded as a precursor of Later ... with Jools Holland; Holland is married to McEwen's youngest daughter Christabel. With his brother Alexander, who also had a TV show, Rory was sold out live concerts.
Painter
From 1963 on, Rory McEwen devoted increasingly to painting. He illustrated another book by C. Oscar Moreton (1964 ) and the publication of his former teacher Wilfrid Blunt. Apart from a few side trips into abstract painting flowers and plants remained the main theme McEwen.
1970 filmed McEwen Joseph Beuys on his expedition to the Moor of Rannoch. To McEwen's friends included the artists Jim Dine, Brice Marden, Cy Twombly, David Novros, George Melly, Alastair Reid and Kenneth Koch.
Illness and death
1979 Rory McEwen was first operated on for cancer. 1982 broke the disease again. A brain tumor was operated on in July, but another was inoperable. On October 16, McEwen left unnoticed his flat in Chelsea and lunged at the South Kensington underground station in front of an approaching train.
Aftereffect
Rory and Alex McEwen influenced the development of many musicians, including Billy Connolly, Van Morrison and Eric Burdon.
Even during his lifetime were seen in numerous exhibitions around the globe McEwen's paintings. 1988 there was a first major retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery. From 11 May to 22 September 2013 show the Kew Gardens, the exhibition " Rory McEwen: The Colours of Reality ". In addition the book, edited by Martyn Rix same name appears.
Works
Discography
- Folk Song Today (1955), compilation with a piece of Alex and Rory McEwen: Bonnie George Campbell
- Great Scottish Ballads (1956 ), Alex and Rory McEwen
- Scottish Songs and Ballads (1957 ), Alex and Rory McEwen
- Folk Song Jubilee ( 1958), Alex and Rory McEwen with Isla Cameron
- Four for Fun ( 1963), Alex and Rory McEwen with Richard Fariña and Carolyn Hester
Book illustrations
- C. Oscar Moreton Old Carnations and Pinks (1955 )
- C. Oscar Moreton: The Auricula, It's History and Character ( 1964)
- Wilfrid Blunt: Tulips and Tulipomania
Paintings and drawings
Rory McEwen's works are in private collections around the world as well as in major museums, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the Museum of Modern Art, New York and many more.