“It was this event that made me join Cam Soc.” “CamSoc does dinners, walks and wine talks brilliantly, but we could do with more art events.” “I work in tech but art is my passion.” These were some of the comments from the 35 members who went along to Olympia Auctions on Thursday to see the collection of John Russell Taylor, art and theatre critic for The Times for 40 years before its sale on 11th February. Adrian Biddell, Head of Paintings for Olympia Auctions, gave a spirited talk about JRT, the “innocuous, gentle genius” who, after a starred First from Jesus, began a career that led him deeply into the world of film and theatre, collecting with his highly trained eye along the way. Many of his paintings, as Adrian pointed out, look like film sets. The books, paintings and pots that had once filled JRT’s two-bedroom flat from floor to ceiling made a colourful backdrop to an evening of lively conversation and the Olympia Auctions team were delighted to host us. Indeed, they’ve just emailed to say we’re welcome back.
Organised by Beth McHattie
