Patrick Procktor RA (1936 - 2003) was a supreme draughtsman, water-colourist and print-maker.
Procktor blazed a trail across the artistic and social firmament of the 1960s and 70s, living in the rarefied atmosphere where the worlds of art, fashion, music, the aristocracy and royalty collided. At six foot five inches tall, blonde and often dressed as an eighteenth-century dandy, Procktor was an un-missable sight at any party or gathering. His circle included Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, Cecil Beaton as well as his closest friends David Hockney and the fashion designer Ossie Clark. Procktor was a performer, a wit and prone to outrageous behaviour, however this did not disguise the fact that he was also a deeply serious, brilliant and highly acclaimed artist.
Procktor and Hockney were said to have been the two brightest stars of their generation. Procktor's work was shown in the epoch defining 'New Generation' show at the Whitechapel in 1965 and throughout his career he had a number of highly acclaimed shows with the renowned Redfern Gallery in Cork Street. Sadly for Procktor, his and Hockney's trajectories would eventually diverge and the glittering success he experienced in his earlier career eventually faded. From the 1990s up until his death Procktor's life was plagued by addiction, tragedy and misfortune. However, all the while, Procktor's work maintained its integrity and to this day acts as an excellent chronicle of the time in which he lived, the places that he saw and the extraordinary life he led.
Procktor's best works continue to be highly sought by collectors, and with the publication of a recent major monograph, by Ian Massey, as well as an extremely well received show at the Huddersfield Art Gallery his story and his work are once again receiving the oxygen that they deserve.
Procktor was elected a Royal Academician in 1996. His work is held in the Tate Gallery, MoMA (NY), National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy, Fitzwilliam Museum, Metropolitan Museum (NY), Imperial War Museum, Government Art Collection and Contemporary Art Society amongst many other institutions in the UK and abroad.
2nd September 2003 - Patrick Procktor - Telegraph Obituary