John Thomas Whormsley"

1991

Date of document unknown.

John Thomas Whormsley was a founder member of the Buckley Art Society.

INTRODUCTION

Whilst Buckley has been basically an industrial urban town it has not been lacking in its production of the arts, for two of its artistic institutions have already made their mark for the town. One locally and one nationally: the Buckley pantomime under the late Dennis Griffiths and the Buckley Royal Town Band which was granted its status of Royal" by Queen Victoria; and long before then Buckley had its own Choral Society.

Other artistic groups included The Hawkesbury Little Theatre, The Camera Club, The Art Club and The Buckley Orchestra.

It is before the days of the very first Buckley Art Club that I make my introduction, though it was this group that brought to a wider audience Buckley's most well known artist. Hawkesbury was and still is classed as the cultural centre of Buckley it is there that John Thomas Whorsmley along with school friend Herbert Parker helped found the Buckley Art Club

in I946.

If Buckley has a first son in fine art then John Whormsley deserves his rightful place in his town's history for his achievements of drawn and painted documents of, and for, his birthplace.

I was fortunate enough to be able to record hours of conversation on tape with John whom I know personally and have great respect for, so I am able to quote him word for word; and with a large photographic library and a collection of his original paintings I can hopefully illustrate a part of his long artistic life.

Firstly let us place John in relation to the art world about him for it is very easy for people to forget that amateur artists have an important role and relationship with the bigger art world outside. They are not separate existences; each feeds of the other, and as we have seen many times throughout history amateur artists have risen to heights beyond many professionals who have long since disappeared into obscurity.

Examples of this are seen in Vermeer, Hobbema, Mesdag, and Lowry to name just a few.

For those who know John they will readily hear his voice when reading his words. A sincere gruffish baritone with: a broad Buckley twang

Author: Chesters, Joe

John Thomas Whormsley"

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