George Cunningham DVD
A unique DVD film featuring the life, paintings and interests of the great Sheffield artist.
Running Time: 182 minutes
Following the release of this unique and acclaimed insight into one of Sheffield’s best known and loved Artist, this DVD of George Cunningham’s ,”Life, Paintings & Interests ”, Has received much accolade since its release last week, No sooner were the Release interviews heard on the Bernie Clifton Show and later in the week by demand the Roney Robinson Show on Radio Sheffield the Phone has never stopped with people wishing to own a piece of Sheffield’s history as told by George through his art and narrated by Roy Newman a friend and life long admirer of his work.
Roy says on the back cover of the DVD - George Cunningham, one of nature’s gentlemen and man who could not be summed up with a few words.
My first involvement with George was through was Hibbert Brothers, they realized his talent and gave him a spring board by providing him with a Studio to work in develop his amazing Artistic talent .Once whilst going to their Gallery, I was struck by a particular painting that could only be described as stunning, I bought it and it was that moment that I was introduced to George who had just walked in this meeting started a firm friendship that lasted until his untimely death.
George had an uncanny turn of fraise; he had you in stitches with his anecdotes and of Sheffield.
He could have turned his hand to many things, an author, poet, lyricists and more likely an architect, by looking at his paintings and sketches you can see why, his sense of perspective and his virtual photographic memory was almost surreal.
A few years before his death I asked him if I could film a day in his life, he was "Chuffed" with the idea. The BBC, so he said, had done a few minutes on him and his paintings a couple of times, but nothing like this.
We had two good sessions in his Studio with George painting and talking about his paintings and Sheffield as he knew it- and his thoughts on Sheffield today.
He then took me to one of Sheffield's last Little Mesters, and from there onto one of Sheffield’s Great Cutlery firm where we saw buffers working, and all the dying trades still being practiced, alas very few still remain today but an amazing insight into social and industrial history of Sheffield.
People were proud to be film with George as the centre piece, they pulled the stops out for him
George Cunningham is no more, but his paintings, drawings and prints will live on as long as there is a Sheffield.
In my view George was one of the finest, if not the finest Sheffield Painter ever, he has had a few imitators, but that's what they were imitators, none will ever fill his shoes.
This film was made over twenty years ago, and is a Tribute to his Memory; I hope it gives you as much pleasure watching it as it did me in its making.
