'Dave Clarke: Carpenter; Local Character' 1977

'Dave Clarke: Carpenter; Local Character' 1977 oil on stretched canvas by Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz (1941-2002) exhibit 42 of 65 exhibited works for Project 7: Gossip on the Barbican. Project/Section Seven of the relationship Series localised Robert's enquiry into the notion that 'Gossip was the glue that stuck Society together' He thought Gossip was entirely an aesthetic activity and indiscretion came second in the race towards feeling significant in one's immediate environment. It was known that Dave Clarke, who did a considerable amount of carpentry work for Robert's office and library, often teased Robert about Robert's propensity to exaggerate, saying "Robert, remember Pinocchio" whilst at the same time holding his nose and moving his hand forward and away, giving the impression the nose was growing!  Dave carved a fourteen inch plain wooden study of Pinocchio and Robert painted it in acrylic and stood it on top of his books in his studio window giving the impression that it was looking out onto the Barbican. The carving is featured in the painting along with several initially hidden faces! Robert said he liked Dave, his high pitch voice and the fact he loved his food so much that he could never quite managed to pull the zip all the way up on his flies! Robert was always asking questions of the sitter whilst he painted and if the sitter was not engaging, just answered "Yes" or " No" then the painting would be finished quickly, however, were the sitter engaging, well there would be sitting after sitting. The detail in portrait of Dave Clarke clearly shows many hours of observing and painting, one of Robert's masterpieces. The sitter is alive, with a twinkle in his eye and looking back at you in a friendly benevolent manner. Complete with a closed-corner gold metal-leaf slip within an ROL closed-corner black hand-painted frame and glazed.