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kit williams - masquerade

17 replies

heartofgold · 02/12/2009 22:08

anyone else grow up with this book? i was fascinated to watch the documentary on bbc about what he's been doing in the last 30 years since withdrawing from any kind of public life. i got totally drawn in by the work, just like the people he describes walking past the gallery, catching a glimpse and running back to have a proper look.

should be on the iplayer but it's down atm will post a link when it comes back. do watch it if you get a chance, his paintings are mesmerising.

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ApplesinmyPocket · 02/12/2009 22:17

I did yes and tried very hard to solve the Puzzle - so wanted to dig up that beautiful golden hare! I was convinced it was something to do with Astronomy and studied all sorts of complicated star charts and tried to work out word codes! (I was WAY off the mark.)

Love the painting of Tewkesbury, which is near where I live. And the Penny Pockets Lady and her little girl.

It was a shame though that the treasure wasn't discovered by an avid book-fan as planned. I don't quite remember the details but I think it all went a bit murky and there was talk of a 'leak'.

I'll try and catch the documentary, thanks for posting about it as I didn't know it was on.

blithedance · 02/12/2009 22:23

yes, thanks. I still have my copy of the book. I tried and tried to work it out but got nowhere near!

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heartofgold · 02/12/2009 22:51

i was too young to have any interest in/chance of solving the puzzle, but i loved the pictures, they're intimately tied up with my memories/mythology of childhood. and he was saying a lot of his current work mines his own childhood, fascinating stuff

iplayer still down...

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mazzystartled · 02/12/2009 22:56

I loved, was obsessed with, that book.

It was totally odd and a bit sinister somehow.

bellabelly · 02/12/2009 22:59

Yes, it was VERY sinister wasn't it, especially the pictures of the sun and moon as people, I think. I loved it. Still have my old copy knocking around somewhere.

bellabelly · 02/12/2009 23:00

[shuffles off to hunt high and low for old copy]

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heartofgold · 02/12/2009 23:03

i don't remember it being sinister at all (but haven't seen it since i was a kid, and in general i have an inclination towards music/art etc. with sinister undertones...)

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bellabelly · 02/12/2009 23:06

Ha! Found it! "And all the horrors of the night came forth in this one dreadful scream" - the picture is of teh moon woman upside down and as she screams, worms and rats etc are coming out of her mouth. Think that's what has lodged in my mind!

deepdarkwood · 02/12/2009 23:06

Oh, yes - loved the book -amazing illustrations.
Will look on iplayer

What was the second (less successful) book?

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heartofgold · 02/12/2009 23:08

yikes bella

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mazzystartled · 02/12/2009 23:10

yes, yes

and the way it is drawn somehow has this creepy quality about it

totally intriguing through

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heartofgold · 02/12/2009 23:46

phew iplayer is back (i can't get to sleep without it) - here - looks like it should be up tomorrow.

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hocuspontas · 03/12/2009 00:01

I would have loved to have seen the documentary.

The winner was a shady character who apparently had followed a group of friends while they solved most of the last few clues then overtook them at the last moment. Don't know how true that is really but that's how I remember it!

bellabelly · 03/12/2009 00:08

yikes! thanks for this thread, will definitely be looking at the iplayer tomorrow.

mazzy - you're right, it's something about the realism of the drawing but then the surrealism too. I loved it as a kid and am really enjoying looking at it again now. I soooo wanted to find the golden hare.

SolidGoldpiginablanket · 03/12/2009 00:12

I remember being intensely irritated by the whole thing when it came out. I thought he was a complete whanger: precious, self-obsessed, beardy and creepy.

THough I am a little sorry to hear that he kind of never recovered from it, poor chap.

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heartofgold · 03/12/2009 00:20

who sgb? kw? he seems great in the doc (a sympathetic portrayal, admittedly), reminds me a bit of my dad

apparently somebody solved the puzzle - and wrote in to tell kw - but before they could dig it up someone who knew kw's girlfriend at the time got there first. she didn't know for sure where it was, but had guessed. what a rotter!

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heartofgold · 03/12/2009 00:20

also he seems fully "recovered", just decided fame and fortune wasn't the life for him.

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