England and Georgia's 'Special Relationship' is Great News for Art Lovers

What do Winston Churchill, Kosmo Vinyl and Wreckless Eric Have in Common?

They're all British... yes, that's the first thing that comes to mind. Churchill (1874-1965) was born in Woodstock, England; Kosmo Vinyl (b. 1957) hails from East London; and Wreckless Eric (b. 1954) is from Newhaven, East Sussex. You might also know that they're all artists, and yes, plenty of artists come from England, so what? Well...

Ruth Franklin (another superb British artist) and I recently had the privilege of attending the opening of 'The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting' at the Millenium Gate Museum in Atlanta. The exhibition features over 30 of Churchill's paintings, many of which have never before been displayed publicly. In short, it's a fascinating exhibit on many levels, and I highly recommend you go see it  before it closes on February 1, 2015...

The speeches on opening night were enlightening. The Honorable Ambassador Andrew Young spoke of "the special relationship between Georgia and Great Britain". My ears perked up! I've been promoting British artists in Georgia since 1994, and this was the first I'd heard of this! 

The Churchill family's bond with Georgia dates back to the early 1700s, when John Churchill taught military tactics to a young James Oglethorpe (the founder of the Colony of Georgia). Fast forward 3 centuries and it just so happens that Winston Churchill's great-grandson and his wife, a Georgia native, call Atlanta home. Their family loaned more than half of the pictures for the exhibition, which will not travel to any other state.

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What else do Winston Churchill, Kosmo Vinyl and Wreckless Eric have in common? 
Well, none of them were/are exactly reverent about authority - and each of them has risen to their own degree of iconic stature for accomplishments other than the making of art. 

Churchill took up painting later in life and embraced it as a source of great enjoyment, writing “If it weren’t for painting I could not live. I couldn’t bear the strain of things.” The first significant public exhibition of his paintings, as I've mentioned, debuted in Georgia.

Kosmo Vinyl was a close associate of The Clash and Ian Dury & Blockheads. He started making art in 2011, in homage to his beloved West Ham United FC and the England national team. Now a Manhattan resident, Kosmo could have premiered his art in New York City, but he chose instead to make his US debut in Georgia.

Wreckless Eric actually went to art school. He has always enjoyed painting, but he wrote a little tune called "(I'd go the) Whole Wide World" in 1977, became a pop star and travelled the world. After settling in upstate New York a few years ago, he started painting again. His first exhibition was in  2013 in, you guessed it, Georgia!

Winston Churchill

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Kosmo Vinyl

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Wreckless Eric

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• The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting is at The Millenium Gate Museum in Atlanta through Feb 1, 2015
  
• THERE'S ONLY ONE KOSMO VINYL - US Debut Solo Exhibition, presented by VINSONART, will be at Lightroom in Decatur from Nov 15 - Dec 5, 2014
  
• Paintings by an Antique Pop Musician - Wreckless Eric World Premiere Art Show, Nov 1 - 30, 2013, was at Upstairs and to the Left, presented by VINSONART in the Brick Store Pub, Decatur