He's rather dropped out of sight in recent years, many years really. One
had to find HIM, always an interesting exercise by the object of the search
if they want to know who their friends are! And then he had major surgery
which did not go well; and he's been in care since, first with his wife and
then institutional. I feel his loss, as do others, though the man I knew
and described has not been around some while. I can't think it's been a
terribly pleasant existence for him; and as perhaps always, we mourn our
own mortality. It had to come and it is well than it has come now rather
than later
I'll say now that I don't think there is a mass of work which when it is
seen will change the course of any art; but there is some splendid work.
The first batch of which I spoke was him settling down to a Radio Three
(largely music) session of contemporary jazz and transcribing it
graphically.
I recall years ago being at something or other at Barbican Centre in
London. I came round a corner to see a woman in a trapeze; and there not
far away were Geoffrey and Valerie Soar smiling away in the centre of
Cage's Roratorio. I'd missed that it was on; but they hadn't.
& not only contemporry (ish) - he and i spent an entire day at Royal
Academy praising and finding fault with Joshua Reynolds.
Geoffrey was a good companion. Intensely bright. Intensely honest.
He may have lacked that obsession necessary to have done something no one
else had done; he did relax. But from everything I know it was a life well
and decently lived
L
On 1 December 2014 at 15:43, Sheila Murphy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I see what you mean, Lawrence, and your plan is a good one, especially in
> light of the visual pieces and the potential for showing them in the most
> accurate way possible. Again, the loss must be quite dramatic for all who
> were close to him. His being spared further pain and discomfort is perhaps
> the only solace.
>
> Thanks. Sheila
>
> On Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 8:28 AM, Lawrence Upton <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Thanks, Sheila. My intention with the first batch of polychrome drawings,
> > which I selected in the summer, was to publish them in Pocket Litter.
> >
> > Originally, I was thinking of careful scans put into a pdf and
> distributed;
> > but Pocket Litter is going to change, being transferred to the web so
> that
> > we can use all webable media; and I just haven't made time to do it yet;
> > but I shall. It'll be free. What I'll do beyond that I am not sure. There
> > is a lot of it
> >
> > I'll need to talk with his wife of course and that's not for now, beyond
> > when, I can, assuring her of my continued interest and so on. She is
> highly
> > intelliigent too and sensible; but I want it to take its own time and
> > immediately there is the distress; and of course "the arrangements"
> >
> > L
> >
> >
> >
> > On 1 December 2014 at 14:58, Sheila Murphy <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Lawrence, I am sorry for your loss. I welcome your publications and
> will
> > > sign up to purchase publications of his drawing and writing.
> > >
> > > Thanks. Sheila
> > >
> > > On Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 5:15 AM, Lawrence Upton <
> [log in to unmask]>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > The name Geoffrey Soar may not mean much except to some from the UK.
> > > > Geoffrey died on 29th Nov after a long illness.
> > > >
> > > > He was an artist of considerable accomplishment. He had a very fine
> > mind,
> > > > which *can mean anything, but by which I mean that he grasped an idea
> > or
> > > > conclusion quicker than most people; and had often read, heard or
> seen
> > > > years before what you had only just found out about.
> > > >
> > > > Writers Forum will be publishing some of his drawing and writing
> vnext
> > > > year.
> > > >
> > > > He was in charge of the little press collection at U C for many years
> > > and,
> > > > with others, put together a number of exhibitions. He was a great
> > > advocate
> > > > for little press both for poetry and for artists' books. In that
> > regard,
> > > a
> > > > lot of people owe him without perhaps knowing it
> > > >
> > > > I haven't been on Britpo for some years. Maybe someone could pass on
> > the
> > > > information
> > > >
> > > > L
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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