We were delighted to welcome author Mark D Price to the gallery to launch the second and final volume of his acclaimed biography on the life of celebrated artist Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz.
Mark was commissioned by The Lenkiewicz Foundation to undertake the mammoth task of trying to distill the life of this infamous yet charismatic character into a book and some five years later he has achieved this at times seemingly insurmountable task.
Mark carried out extensive research, reading previously unseen private notebooks, diaries, and correspondence, and interviewed Lenkiewicz's many partners, models, lovers, family, friends and children. This truly was a labour of love. In fact, Mark is quite open is confessing that in many ways Robert Lenkiewicz "saved my life" when he arrived in Plymouth as a disillusioned, fragile and addicted young man.
The book tells the full story of Lenkiewicz’s frequently controversial life and philosophy, as well as his prolific output of paintings and his creation of one of the country’s most remarkable private libraries, not only on subjects related to his paintings but his lifelong interest in philosophy, metaphysics and art history.
His complex estate was valued in excess of £4 million before being ravaged by tax liabilities, creditors and legal costs.
Mark D Price presented a fascinating insight into the life and art of Lekiewicz and left his audience wanting to learn more. We could have listend to him for hours.
