Watching Peter Brook

Peter Brook was a brilliant painter who lived in Brighouse.  He became extremely successful, and his work continues to be appreciated by many people.  I became aware of Peter’s artwork at a young age. I’d see his prints hanging up in my friend’s parents’ houses and on display in the Harrison Lord Gallery window in town. 

In 2007 the Smith Art Gallery in Brighouse presented a special exhibition of Peter’s paintings, all of which were selected from the Calderdale, Kirklees, Bradford, Leeds, and Wakefield Public Art Collections. I was captivated by what I saw.  There were many of his early street scenes: big paintings of parts of local streets featuring the old mills (now long gone or converted into apartments).  I instantly loved his style, his subject matter, and how he manipulated the formal elements of image-making. 

There was also something special about seeing the paintings in real life, rather than as a print or a reproduction in a book. I appreciated the scale of the paintings, the nuances within the brushstrokes and surface textures, and understand exactly how Peter had applied the paint to achieve specific effects.  I revisited the exhibition many times. 

I came to meet Peter after writing a song about him towards the end of 2007. It was and probably still is one of my best.  I included ‘Peter Brook’s Paintings’ on an album called ‘The Busker’.  The song was also released as a limited-edition CD single and both Peter and I signed each copy. 

Peter loved the song and invited me to perform it at some of his exhibition openings.  I would also visit him at his house occasionally, where he and his wife Molly made me feel very welcome.  We’d have a cuppa and chat about artists and musicians who interested us, sat beneath one of his big paintings of Hannah Hauxwell’s farm. 

Some of the first pictures I made were intended as tributes to Peter, as I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate his inspiration.  The first were small charcoal drawings in which I started to think about which features I could include: 

Peter would often paint himself sketching something, or contemplating an old farmhouse, an aspect of the landscape, a street scene, or a view in the woods, usually in winter, with his sheepdog by his side.  I thought I’d include myself in my pictures, watching him.  This simple idea allowed me to develop a series of paintings which featured the two of us. 

The first five paintings in the series were done on canvas.  I made two of myself watching Peter sketching an old mill. These were the largest paintings I’d attempted up to that time. 

Other ideas presented themselves quickly and each painting suggested what the next one could be. I discovered that by choosing a subject that interested me, and about which I had something to say and express, then the work became a pleasure to create from start to finish. 

Sometimes I had to work out a way to paint certain things in my style which was occasionally a challenge.  Trees had always flummoxed me a bit, but I realised I could make a tree look like it was off somewhere in the distance by applying just a simple, single vertical stripe of grey paint! 

Peter made a couple of paintings featuring Castle Hill, a well-known landmark near Huddersfield. I was interested in it as a subject too and had previously painted pictures of people flying kites up there. I thought Castle Hill would lend itself as a good location for another picture in this series. 

Peter also made several paintings of Chapel Street (I think this was in Sowerby Bridge) which consisted of terraced houses, often including clothes hanging up in the street from washing lines. I thought they were brilliant, so I put us in a picture based on the view of Chapel Street I saw in his work. The socks and ‘Y-Fronts’ hanging on the line were fun to include! 

Two of the galleries which now represent me both have close connections to Peter and his work, so these made great subjects as well. The Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse hosted many of Peter’s exhibitions over the years and his prints have been featured there for as long as I can remember. Also, the AC Gallery in Huddersfield currently dedicates their entire top floor to Peter’s prints and paintings. Both are well worth a visit. 

I depicted each gallery with myself looking in, admiring Peter’s work in the window displays. 

I may return to this ‘Watching Peter Brook’ theme in the future and make more paintings like these. Through making them I’ve come to understand a little bit about how the work of an artist from an older generation can help to guide and inform the work of someone such as myself. 

When it’s done right, Art is a revelatory gift. Thank you, Peter, for sharing yours with us.