Derek Massey_interview by Luke Payn

First published in ARt & Soul in June 2008

Derek Massey

I walk into the room and see the dining table bursting with portfolios and photo-albums, bold prints and sumptious paintings. Derek conversation flows easily and soon we are discussing a full cast of art-historic themes. His knowledge on art and his ease of manner make the whole subject of art seem vibrant and real.

Born in the East End, Derek grew up around the timber yards where his father worked. He started using paints at the age of 5 whilst his father was teaching him carpentry and design. He recalls this dialogue with his father;
“what do you want to be when you grow up?”,
“a painter, dad” he replied.
“there's no way you're going to be a painter, I'll make sure it won't happen.”
Shortly after this he began secretly painting at his aunts house, during the weekends.

Leaving school at 14 with no qualifications he applied to art school but was turned away. Working as a mechanics apprentice he reapplied to Art School, they said they would let him in but only to take a graphics course, however once in Derek spent more time in the life drawing classes and spent most of his time with the art students rather than in the graphics department.

In the early 60's he and his brother spent a couple of years in a band with some notable successes,
getting several singles pressed, appearing on TV and generally being part of the buzz in the early 60's.

Derek was recording in Abbey Road when his friend Pip showed up and said “you're not going to be big in music, there's hundreds of bands doing this sound now, you're a painter. Why don't you come and work for me, I need someone to help me with my sculpture,.” So in 1966 he moved to study painting and sculpture with Pip Warwick at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. After qualifying as a teacher, and with the encouragement of his wife, he moved back to The Fens to work, becoming a full time professional in 1987.

During our conversation he links Hirst and Emin with Monet and Michaelangelo, “sure Michaelangelo would have taken Saatchi's money.” The business of art, it's fashion and politics, hasn't changed much. We talk about how the renaissance studios would have been much like the film-studios of today, creating big productions to wow the public and generate revenue from the church, the state and the wealthy aristocracy. His sense of how theatrics and marketing influences artists success, their income and longevity, is well informed.

The conversation evolves to Impressionism which he tells me was created by Windsor & Newton through their painting technology. The creation of paint-tubes allowed artists to paint outside, instead of land-locked in their mighty studios. This led to a re-investment in nature and most keenly for painters of this time it established a new relationship with light. This was revolutionary. Painters working outdoors was unheard of and it was new technology that ignited it. This is not a footnote in the history of art but an inspiration for his landscape work. He studies Monet, Matisse and others first hand, even visiting Arles and painting at night to see the same colours Van Gogh saw.

Derek's talks me through a selection of his work, which takes in many styles including Pop-Art, Landscapes, Wildlife, Figurative and Sculpture, he starts with “1812”.

“1812” is a series of sumptious volumputious smooth curvy and delicious women. The title refers to the ladies measurements, not to the Overture. The bodies lay brightly over orange yellow and blue piano paper with punch holes, a joyous celebration of big beautiful women. He talks of how Matisse and Monet loved curvy women, going into details of their personal lives with deft display of intricate knowledge.
He then shows me a set of images exploring the icon with Bowie, Dylan, Lennon, Madonna, Christ and Che Guevara , who's image has become the archetypal revolutionary (as well as a global merchandising sensation). The image was painted from a photo negative taken just before he was executed. In the photo he is reading a book on guerilla warfare. The source image was printed from a PC and due to an error it was slightly scrambled, an effect that appealed and was worked into the final result. This is a particularly strong image and has all sorts of evocative hints, Catholicism with modern stencil & silhouette effects, mixed with ancient ideas of hero's and saints, soldiers and villains, passion and redemption and finally the glitchiness of the computer error era. A sublime image.
He moves to his Pop-Art paintings. Burst with images of galaxies, Buddy Holly, Buzz Lightyear, (to whom he bears an uncanny likeness), saints, travel alarm-clocks, visa and master cards, constellations, his own glasses and references to born free, (an association that he has supported throughout his career), they detail an active narrative of their creator.

Finally he shows me some work in progress. We walk into a small room, part of his studio. Here I see a splendid piece with Laurel & Hardy juggling, a colourful sculpture about two foot high. The juggling balls are in fact references to the planets and atoms, clowns playing with the universe.

As for the future he's off to Venice to study Turner and Monet, ( both visited Venice in their 60's), is planning some new seascapes and is considering the possibility of writing a book about his experiences in the '60's.

Derek is clearly a master craftsman who knows his subjects and studies them first hand. Our conversation has been saturated with gems and flourishes of keenly studied knowledge and observations.

I felt enchanted and refreshed by his eloquent conversation and knowledge. His work is stunning, the quality and range left me breathless and very inspired. Derek is my first ever interviewee, I genuinely don't think it could have been bettered and I am very lucky to have met the man and his work.

By Luke Payn

work available at www.normancrossgallery.co.uk