BRATBY

John  Bratby - self portrait.

  

John Bratby is one of my favourtite Painters and Authors. 

It all started when I read his book "Breakdown" nearly fifty years ago, and it started a lifelong interest.

I went on to read "Brake-Pedal Down" and "Break 50 Kill", and they increased my interest in his writing and  painting.

Bratby was the originator of the British "Kitchen Sink" art movement, and indeed one of his early works is a painting of a kitchen sink.

In 1958 Bratby created works for the fictional artist Gulley Jimson in the Alec Guinness film The Horse's Mouth. 

Bratby's own work fell out of favour with the emergence of Pop art, but his paintings have increased in value and critical support over recent years. Paul McCartney has been a collector of his works.

John Bratby was born in 1928 and died in Hastings in 1992.

In the late 1970s I saw a Bratby painting for sale in a small Gallery near Blytheswood Square in Glasgow, the price was 800 pounds. If I had £800 in my pocket that day I would have bought it.

Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery has a painting by Bratby, but unforunately no image was available.

And I've just bought a First Edition of John Bratby's book "Breakfast and Elevenses on eBay.