ARTICLE BY KATE DICKER for The Society of Wood Engravers' Journal 'Multiples'
Number 60 November 2023

 GARRICK PALMER (1933–2023)                                   

Garrick Palmer RE SWE was born in Hampshire where he lived throughout his life. He studied Fine Art at Portsmouth College of Art where he was introduced to wood engraving by Gerry Tucker. He then studied at the Royal Academy Schools. His distinguished career has included prestigious commissions and exhibitions nationwide and he won several awards and travel scholarships. During the 1970s he took on a commission from an American publisher which gave him the opportunity of working at the Curwen Studios in London where he worked alongside Ceri Richards and Henry Moore.  He was Head of Foundation at Winchester School of Art before retiring in 1987 when he took up photography for the next decade. 

 Garrick was a private man and softly spoken. A conversation with him was often exacting. I first met Garrick through my late mother, Molly Dicker,  while I was a student at Camberwell and, later, I re-connected with him in Winchester in 2003. He would come over in his yellow car, with his dog Charlie, to use my Albion Press.  Conversations over our sandwiches were interesting. He was astute about the art world, he had his opinions and was critical both of himself and his work.

 Garrick's approach to wood engraving was more in favour of the Eastern European style, emphasizing a strong black line, with which he created complex structures to depict his subject matter.  Behind these he engraved a labyrinth of tones with energetic marks and rhythms. He said that one of his influences were the woodcuts and drawings by Leonard Baskin, being attracted to how he sought to express a sense of the human condition be it grief, love, hope.

 For publications, his research behind the illustrations was both painstaking and time consuming.  (E.g. The Ballard of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde. Published by Primrose Hill Press 1998). He was interested in angst-riddled plots with psychological dramas and expressed these with twists and counter movement in his engravings and paintings.  Other images featured circular forms that connected to a framework of abstract, scientific-related shapes with biological cross- sections. All of which held personal significance to him at a certain times of his life.

 During the late 1990s his wife, the jeweller Ellis Palmer, was seriously ill with cancer.  During that time Garrick took up engraving once again so that he could be at home and alongside her. The activity also gave him a valued pre-occupation during a very difficult time.   Concurrently he was collaborating with Nicolas and Frances McDowall of The Old Style Press to produce the stunning limited edition book 'Land' (1996), which was based on sketches/drawings he had created of landscapes in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset. Specific to wood engraving, he would first make a gouache painting to the size of the intended block/s. This became a re-invention of the scene and was designed to ensure to bring out the best properties of Garrick's engraving process.

 With his draughtsmanship he carefully thought out highly structured compositions which were transferred on to the block as a key-line drawing.  Energised shapes would be engraved in the background with the colour painting beside him to read the tonal ranges.  He engraved until completion at which point he made the first reveal.

 Garrick never owned a press but was content with hand-burnishing. He said to me that, once a block was finished and proofed, his creativity was satisfied and his interest would move on. Partly for economic reasons, he sent blocks back to T.N. Lawrence in Bleeding Heart Yard to be re-faced and so losing the previous engraving before an edition was taken.  Some blocks had disappeared, and a few had become too dry to print without trepidation, which explains why some editions were unfulfilled. During his revival in the 1990s he managed to rescue what blocks he could find and, luckily, he managed to collect prints from missing blocks to continue their circulation. He did, though, regret his hasty decisions in not taking the trouble to store his blocks more carefully. 

 Garrick was an elected member of the Society of Painter-Printmakers and The Society of Wood Engravers.  He admitted to me, and openly confessed, how he would have liked to have been more involved on committees, or at least,  been a better member of both. A committee meeting he once attended was held in Conduit Street where he remembered a feud occurring and because of it and, with some regret, he confessed he 'backed off' and never returned. He said how he whole-heartedly admired the work these committee members did and confessed he was not a natural for society activities. 

 In 2011 Pallant House Gallery hosted a retrospective exhibition: 'Garrick Palmer, A Life in Wood Engraving' in the De'Longhi Print Room.  There the conservation cabinets displayed a full range of his wood engravings. It was an exceptional exhibition. Garrick was amused to overhear a quote of acknowledgement by an impressed visitor, saying "Garrick Palmer - he's one of our National Treasures".

 In 2013, the exhibition 'Garrick Palmer at 80' was held at Emma Mason Prints in Eastbourne where Emma continues to represent his work. In 2018, The Jack House Gallery in Old Portsmouth gave him a solo exhibition to celebrate 'Garrick Palmer 60 (years) of Art'. I have memories of that private view - he was brought to the gallery by a friend, arrived, if a little late, dressed in black and looking 'with-it', to a full house of admiring guests.

 Garrick Palmer nearly made it to 20th September, his 90th birthday. Very sadly he died on 9th July 2023.  In his honour, Rebecca Crow of Jack House Gallery organised an exhibition of his paintings and wood engravings - 'Garrick Palmer at 90'. 1st September - 2nd October 2023. Despite his decline in health during June and July, it was certainly hoped he would be there in person. With forethought, Garrick agreed with his daughters Vicky, Emma and Sarah, and with gallery owner Rebecca, that the event should go ahead without him if that was to be the case.  To celebrate his life it was a great occasion and he was, and will be, greatly missed.

 Previous articles for 'Multiples' by Kate Dicker:
Meeting Garrick Palmer
Multiples Number 3 August 2009 (www.societyofwoodengravers.co.uk)

 Garrick Palmer - A Life in wood engraving at Pallant House
Multiples Number 10 May 2011

 Website links to galleries:

www.emmamason.co.uk

www.jackhousehousegallery.co.uk