Brian Sewell

[poliphilo]

He was a nasty, bad-tempered old queen- or that's the role he mostly played, but he was kind and loyal too- standing by Anthony Blunt- to his own detriment- when the wolf pack was howling for him. He became the most entertaining of art critics- unfair, bitchy, outrageous, quotable; he despised most modern art but- for some unfathomable reason- loved the Chapman brothers.  He became a TV star of sorts- though he affected to hate the business- and his filmed pilgrimage to Compostela is a joy. The two volumes of Autobiography are (I'm told) filthy and unputdownable. He took his love of dogs to unsavoury extremes- digging up their little corpses to take with him when he moved houses. He was a character, an original. He didn't censor himself. He preferred "queer" to "gay"- and queer was what he was- in every sense of the word.

 We "could have better spared a better man."

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

I'll never forget when Brian Swell called Suffolk women ugly on national television, sparking outrage...which was what he wanted. A total one off.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He was an entertainer.

He said things to keep us entertained- angry perhaps- but entertained. Because we all enjoy the odd frisson of righteous indignation.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

I loved his Naked Pilgrim as well. Must look up the 2 autobiographies - I love that kind of writing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He did a very good- and shameless- programme about Salvador Dali.