The David Jones Society
David Jones
Text, Texture and Intertextuality
A three day International Conference
at
Swansea Institute of Higher Education 13th to 15th September 2002.
For further information email
"Annunciation" by David Jones
David Jones ( 1895-1974 ) A brief resume of his life and work.
1895
Born Brockley, Kent, Mother from Pool of London; David Jones finds interest in ships - see
"A Mariner engravings"
(1929) and
"Trystan ac Esseult"
(c1962). His father was Welsh: David Jones identified strongly with father's background. He was a printer's overseer, and from an early age David Jones
"took the printed page and it's illustration for granted"
. His mother was a competent watercolorist.
1910-14
Camberwell School of Art: ambition to become an illustrator of Welsh history, or an animal painter.
1915-18
Joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers and served on the Western Front. This was to have a profound influence on him.
1919-21
Westminster School of Art.
1921
Met Eric Gill. Received into Roman Catholic Church. Joined Gill's community at Ditchling, Sussex. Learnt wood-engraving; made illustrations for the St.Dominic's Press.
1924
Engaged to Petra Gill.
1924
Gill moved to Capel y ffin, near Abergavenny. David Jones joined the family.
1925-27
Landscapes;
"The stone, water, wood".
Seascapes at Caldy Island where he painted from the scriptorium of the Abbey of the Benedictine monks. Intermittent visits to Brockley, landscapes and interiors. Also Portslade, seascapes. Became an adapt illustrator, mostly wood - occasional metal-engraving.
1927
Engagement broken off.
1929
Elected to the
Seven and Five Society
- many prominent artists; Nicholson, Hepworth, Moore, Piper. Visit to Salies de Bearn, France. On his return started to write his epic war poem
"In Parenthesis",
"a shape in words".
Gill moved to Pigotts in Bucks.
1929
Ten illustrations for Coleridge's
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner".
1928-32
Moved around a great deal. Produced watercolours and writing.
1932
Mental breakdown, virtually stopped painting until 1937.
1937
Publication of
"In Parenthesis"
.
1939-45
Lived in London with friends or in lodgings. c 1942 commenced his most important
"Painted inscriptions":
composed of abstract symbols: letters, usually Latin, Welsh, Anglo-Saxon: union of word and image.
Early 1940's mythological watercolours.
1947
Another breakdown, but advised to continue painting. Drew from windows - trees and girls - and painted
'still-life'
into 50's.
Became reclusive. Painted and wrote poetry and essays on Wales, Art and Religion.
1952
Publication of
"The Anathemata"
- a long prose poem with illustrations.
1970
Fell ill after breaking a bone in his hip. Resided in Calvary Nursing Home until his death in 1974.
1974
Publication of
"The Sleeping Lord"
.
1981
Publication of
"The Roman Quarry"
.
"Parenthesis"
& "Petra at Capel y ffin"
