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78
82 Gerard Dillon (1916 - 1971)
Illustrated letter to John Hewitt, featuring
The Evening Star
, opposite
In 1955, Campbell and Dillon were finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a living as
artists. Their application to the Arts Council of Ireland
112
for funding was turned down.
In another letter Dillon asked John Hewitt if the Belfast Art Gallery could reserve ‘The
Evening Star’ before the opening of his joint show with Campbell at the Piccadilly Gallery
to ‘give the show a bit of importance’. Dillon received a disappointing reply.
113
The artists
did, however, meet a group of journalists around the same time in the Irish Club in Eaton
Square who supported and helped them organize their joint exhibition at the club. These
included Donal and Pat Foley, Wesley and Marian Boyd, Alfie and Yvonne McCann, Maura
and Willie Lloyd, Cathal og O’Shannon and pharmacist, Gerry Hanna.
Preparing for his first solo exhibition in Godfrey Pilkington’s Piccadilly Gallery in 1956,
Campbell was staying with Dillon at Abbey Road in November, 1955. Dillon asked Campbell
to accompany him by playing the guitar while he recited children’s songs for W.R.Rogers,
The
Return Room
114
that was broadcast by the BBC Home Service, 23rd December 1955. Rogers
had months earlier officially opened Campbell and Dillon’s joint exhibition of drawings and
paintings at the Piccadilly Gallery in June 1955.
112
Campbell wrote from Dublin, 28 April 1955, and Dillon (letter undated), c. 1955.
113
In a follow-up letter from Dillon to Hewitt, Dillon accepted that ‘a picture couldn’t be sold at the exhibition
in such a queer fashion’, 4 May 1955.
114
The print edition of
The Return Room
was published in 2010 with a CD of the original production, with
Rogers taking part as narrator. It features eighteen illustrations by Gerard Dillon.
fig.116: Invitation to Campbell and Dillon joint
exhibition at the Piccadilly Gallery, June 1955
fig.117: George Campbell and Gerard Dillon
joint exhibition catalogue, Piccadilly Gallery,
1955