The full title for this is ‘The Castle or Uncle Eric’s Place’. It is literally a painting of ‘a castle in the air’ and was inspired by a friend Anna Casberg Beldam who was a student on the same Fine Art course at Goldsmiths College.
Anna claimed descent from the Danish Royal Family; she told me about her uncle who lived in a castle by a lake in Denmark. He was stone bonkers and believed he was the Viking ‘Eric the Red’ who reputedly discovered America. In order to realise this ambition ‘Uncle Eric’, who was under confinement in his own castle and estate, would command his butler to row him across the lake in order to discover America. Needless to say Eric was dressed in full Viking regalia, although not allowed a sword or battle axe for obvious reasons.
This enchantingly funny story wonderfully told by Anna was a major influence on this picture, which with its infinite sky and shattered castle symbolised the mad and remote but highly romantic world in the mind of ‘Uncle Eric’.
The oil painting of this found a resting place ina ward at Sidcup General Hospital for patients with a terminal illness. God rest ‘Uncle Eric’, may he truly rest in peace.
