Oct. ‘93
Dear Mr. Cornwell,
I was intrigued by your Sunday Times Magazine article (Oct 10th) on David Hockney and his work. Well, ‘intrigued’ may be a bit misleading, but I desperately want you to read all this letter. What did intrigue me was why you went to see him and his. One possible reason is that you have an interest in art. Of course it may be that you (the guy reading this letter) are not John Cornwell, who is possibly resident in L/A and just sold the article down a tube, and if that’s the case then leave John Cornwell to rot in the fleshpots, and let me talk to you.
“What is this Pratt on about?” I hear you cry. I’ll tell you. David Hockney has made his pile. I’m still supporting Barclays Bank- by painting pictures. Not like Mr. Hockney’s in several respects; with mine, you don’t have the excitement of deciding which way up to hang them. Now I was determined not to say anything like that; ignore it.
I have a studio on the Norfolk Broads, and I sell mainly to tourists, so I have to paint what I can sell, but I enjoy it, guv’nor, and the punters like it, so where’s the harm, I say? Now after the season, I have an exhibition for a week, in Norwich. It’s a casual affair- few invites, no adverts, just the passing trade. I just look to cover the cost of the turkey and the puddin’.
At last we come to John Cornwell- played by whoever. How would you like to review my exhibition? It’s hardly going to crown your journalistic career but the exposure might give me a bit of a leg up- I don’t ask you to like it, just point to it. And if we can do somebody a turn as we pass through this vale of tears, then we can sleep like Christians. At least you wouldn’t be treading on toes at the local rag; their art critic has been ignoring my invites for years. He probably gets his quivers from the likes of- No! Mustn’t say things like that.
Now Norwich in December, well L/A it isn’t, but the wife and I can offer you a bed for the night so you can fiddle your expenses.
Before I forget, did you see in the same magazine some scheisters were peddling 4 Turner seascape prints for 395 brass ones? That’s something I paint sometimes, square riggers, comparable, I didn’t say as good as, but I’m damned if I’ll say not as good as. I can’t sell 4 prints for 400sheets, but I can sell one original, 4 times the size, for 300. Now that surely sounds interesting enough to look at?
The exhibition- 6th to 10th Dec. Assembly House, Norwich.
What else can I tell you? Noffink.
I’ll wait to hear from you.
----------------
Still waiting
---------------------