Writers Note: This article was originally published in 2011 by Maximum Rock 'N' Roll in their December 31st online edition. Since then, the website has been overhauled & the original article lost. The version featured here has article improvements & additional never before seen photos.
Opening at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil (Southwest England) The Grotty Hand of Wilf ran from 3rd -14th October 2011 acting as retrospective & tribute to late local artist Stephen Wilmott affectionately known as Wilf. His credits notably include illustration and design for a number of groups, including many associated with the Anarcho-Punk movement such as Thatcher on Acid, The Review (Pre Disorder) & The Mob inlcuding their own independent record label All The Madmen records who would go on to release material by Blyth Power, The Astronauts & DAN.
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| Mob Illustration by Wilf. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| All The Madmen promotional poster for Thatcher on Acid Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| Matt Cornish Thatcher on Acid/Psycodaisies appears playing Bass on the illustration featured above. Photo: Adam Farrar |
Wilf resided in Yeovil (located 45 miles from the city of Bristol) a town known for glove production & Helicopter manufacturing, which are referenced in a number of his illustrations. After a short existence as a fanzine All The Madmen records became a fully fledged record label with increasing connections to local & national music scenes, helping to develop a number of opportunities for Wilf to apply his craft. During this time he often collaborated with associate Steve Batty working under the pseudonym of Cracked Image Graffix to create detailed & memorable artwork, using their combined skills to create visual identities for many bands. |
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| Unpublished ink & letraset drawing of Ian Curtis (Joy Division) Photo: Adam Farrar |
The exhibit was first conceived after a suggestion that it would be an excellent opportunity to celebrate the life of the artist in some capacity. The project then fell into the hands of Graham Moores and Joanne Childs, comprising of works from a number of sources, including musicians, friends and relatives, Joanne ultimately becoming a figurehead for the project. Much of this task was a daunting prospect as it was common knowledge that Wilf had a tendency to give away much of his work. But thanks to contacts on the internet and a general call for help spread within the community, it resulted in a number of leads and people offering to loan out their pieces for inclusion within the show, much of the material supplied was not even known to exist before this exhibition was pieced together. As a result of their efforts the collected work spanned the entire top floor of the theatre. This unique exhibition will most likely be the biggest collection of his work ever seen by the public totaling approximately 80 pieces, running the gamut of material documenting art from the early Yeovil punk rock scene right through to his time exploring experimental paint techniques and screen printing at Magick Eye.
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| Magick Eye Screenprinting. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| (Centre) Rejected, Let The Tribe Increase artwork. Photo: Adam Farrar |
The venues restaurant and bar also played host to a number of paintings, illustrations and screen printed T-Shirts centered around Wilf’s activist work protecting his beloved Wyndham Hill (a recognized beauty spot located inside Yeovil country park) This area has been marked for controversial supermarket expansion and road bypass projects a number of times throughout its history. Fortunatley to this day Wyndham Hill still stands, no doubt in part thanks to the hard work of Wilf and his associates in the Wyndham Hill Action Group. No doubt he’d be resound to know that no developments have since infringed on this area. Further exhibited material gave a glimpse into his later practices which focused on spiritual surrealism (possibly harkening back to his hippie roots) but that’s not so say at this point in his life Wilf didn’t try his hand at more traditional pieces, as was evident by his selection of beautiful watercolour landscapes and old english naive style cattle paintings, the type of which can be seen on establishments in villages across the UK. The public were also treated to a selection of stories transcribed in the form of unqiue A4 comic panels, which adorned the walls of the main room of the theatre.
Featured within an adjacent side room was a glass cabinet collecting many examples of published work, many of the original pieces of which have unfortunately been lost or destroyed. In the interest of consistency the final product appeared in place of any unavailable sketches or concept work. Other items like cassette tapes, zines, cards, ceramics and crafts filled the remaining shelves, revealing the range of Wilf's artistic creativity.
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The iconic trees that tower across Yeovil town. Photo: Adam Farrar
Particularly fascinating was the inclusion of unreleased Mob artwork from 1982/83 the cover extremely striking with firm focus on characterization and is typical of the artist’s early work seen on their singles Crying Again and Witch Hunt. Other notable works shown include the original cover art for the debut record by The Mob Let the Tribe Increase which was scrapped in favour of a decidely more linear cost friendly, reproducible cover. As was the case with much of this material it was fascinating to see so many pieces shown in their earliest formations, compared to the finished releases we have become accustomed with. Also located in the same room were a series of concert & promotional posters for The Mob, which blends watercolour with traditional illustration. |
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| Unreleased artwork for The Mob from the collection of Grimbol. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| This art also appeared in a slightly different form for the back of the 12" version of 1986's 'Crying Again' single. |
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| Screenprinted Poster for The Mob. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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Another version of the screenprint was also exhibited. Photo: Adam Farrar
The two week show culminated with friends meeting to celebrate the artists life. I was invited by Pauline Burr (Arts development officer at South Somerset District Council) to document the event & converse with guests. There were anecdotes about the life and times; inspiration, history and education of the artist, as well as touching tributes to this well loved local character, which served as an excellent footnote to an already superbly crafted show. To round out this event the Quicksilver Mail played host to The Mob who had recently regrouped with the original lineup consisting of Mark Wilson (Vocals/Guitar) Graham Fallows (Drums) & Curtis Youe (Bass) Throughout their performance they were flanked by projected visuals of Wilfs artwork, photographs and flyers associated with the bands history. |
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| The Mob, live on stage at The Quicksilver Mail in Yeovil, Somerset. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| Wilf Memorial concert ticket stub. Featuring The Mob/Psycodaises/Idiot Strength/Try Not To. From the collection of Adam Farrar. |
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| illustrations featured in local fanzines. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| Excerpt from Bridgwater fanzine Sheep Worrying. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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| A panel about Yeovil's oldest record store Acorn Records. Photo: Adam Farrar |
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Automatic Dlamini watercolour. Photo: Adam Farrar
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